Eternal Love: Shuyin's Story
by Zeshin-kun
Summary: This is a Shuyin and Lenne story in Shuyin's POV. It'll go from Shuyin meets Lenne up to Shuyin and Lenne fade away to the Farplane. Yup, FFX-2 stuff will be in my fic!
1. Prologue

Prologue: Imminent Death  
  
I stared at Vegnagun. This was the creature that ensured Bevelle's victory over Zanarkand. It was their trump card if the summoners, like Lenne, could defeat the other machina. However, I had other plans. It would be my trump card. I would use this monstrosity to ransack Bevelle. You can't attack another city if yours is in shambles, now can you? They'd have to call back their army and focus their attention on me. That way, Lenne would be safe from harm. Of course, once that military of theirs returned, I'd most likely not survive, but I didn't care. So long as she would be spared, I was fine with death.  
  
"You're my only hope in saving Lenne," I heard myself mutter.  
  
I quickly walked up to Vegnagun, worrying about time. I reached it and climbed onboard to its cockpit. It was strange. My back was to the front of the machina. Not only that, but the controls looked more like an organ for one of Lenne's concerts rather than something that controlled a city buster. Although, I guess you could think of it like this organ plays music that tames the beast, giving you control of it. Bevelle sure had some strange engineers. In any case, that wasn't something I should be thinking about. What I needed to focus on was getting this thing running so I could blow a few holes all over town. I needed to cause enough damage to the city so that not only would Lenne be safe from this one Machina War, but safe from any future wars, too.  
  
I had never driven a machina before so luckily, this organ control panel wasn't too difficult to operate. I played a nice, well, fitting tune and the massive beast started to activate. Its mouth opened, or rather the lower jaw, and something moved within it. However, right before the cannon was about to shoot out of its mouth, I heard her.  
  
"You must stop! That's enough!" I turned around to face her. "Lenne!" She was standing there with her arms held out. I cringed. She knew my intentions.  
  
Suddenly, we heard footsteps and she gasped when she turned around. There were several guards heading for her with guns in hand. I quickly left the cockpit and embraced her in my arms. This wasn't how I wanted it to go. The spotlights came on to shine on the intruders, us. I looked up and turned my head towards the guards. I hated them. I hated each and every one of them because I had failed her and they were making sure of that. The guards took aim at the two of us. They were going to kill us right there. I looked back at Lenne and tried to comfort her by giving her a fake look of reassurance. She looked back at me and I knew that she also knew we were dead. Her eyes moved a little downward before she looked at me again, a tear sliding down her face. Then, she smiled at me. It killed me right there. She was fine with her fate. She knew I failed her, but she smiled anyway. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her. I failed. My heart shattered.  
  
Finally, the bullets were let loose from the guns by those guards. They sped towards us and both of us cringed. You know, I used to always make fun of that ridiculous idea that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. The only thing I could ever imagine thinking about before dying is, "Wow, this bites." Now that I really was about to die, I realized that that was true... 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: First Impressions  
  
Ok, so I didn't relive my entire life. In fact, the first thing I saw was the day I met Lenne for the very first time... well, in person, I mean. I, and just about every guy in Zanarkand, had heard of Lenne. She was the songstress extraordinaire.  
  
It all started after one typical day of blitzball practice. Me and the guys were going to hang out. While we were walking around, deciding on what to do, one of them suddenly came up with the idea that we should all go see Lenne's concert. We were just gonna goof around and stare at her the entire time. Then, we'd sneak in backstage and one of us would try to hook up with her. So I figured, why not. After all, I hadn't anything better to do.  
  
We snuck into the concert at around 8 o'clock. Actually, we didn't even need to sneak in at all, since all of us were on the Zanarkand Abes and we were just as popular as little miss popstar was. After all, I was Shuyin, err rather, Tidus, and I was the best blitzball player anyone had ever seen. I called myself Tidus because I didn't want my fans to know my real name. They'd be able to find my address and stuff and I'd never hear the end of it. I'd be getting phone calls and fan mail and fan girls at the door 24/7. I mean it wouldn't be that bad to see so many girls all over me, but I knew that sooner or later, I'd have enough of that. Anyway, we snuck in and took seats right next to the door that lead backstage. We watched the concert up until it finished at 11.  
  
At first I figured this girl's singing would be just like any other shallow singing sensation and I'd just get bored and fall asleep from the false lyrics. However, when Lenne got up and sang, I was carried into the clouds by every note. This girl could sing! She really could sing! Not only that, but her singing didn't even sound false. It was amazing.  
  
When the concert ended, the guys dragged me off to the back and started talking about who would be the guy that would have the job of getting a date. They voted aloud and all fingers pointed to me. "Wait! What? No! Hold on a sec!" I kept saying all those things to the guys as they grabbed me and shoved me into her dressing room. She was standing there, looking at herself in the mirror, when I came crashing in.  
  
"What? Who are you?" She turned to look at me. I froze. I don't even know why I froze. I mean, she knew who I was. Everyone in Zanarkand knew who I was. However, at that moment, I just forgot everything and backed up into the door. I really wanted to talk to her and get to know her and having my friends eavesdropping wouldn't really help. I shut the door and locked it and she looked a bit scared. I didn't know why. Then, I realized exactly why. I, some guy who just barged into her dressing room like some kind of crazed fan boy, just shut the door behind me and locked it, leaving the two of us alone. I must have seemed like some sort of rapist to her. "O no. Wait. No. I. The door. I mean. You see. I." Nice speech, huh? She couldn't help but crack up at my nervousness. I heard laughter from two different places. One was from Lenne, the other was from behind the door. My friends had heard the entire thing and were rolling on the floor laughing like a pack of hyenas. "You know, you might want to get some speaking lessons." She was mocking me, now. I was so embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you and make you think I was some kind of perverted fan boy." I tried to get back my dignity by using coherent sentences in my speech again. "Well, I won't be afraid of you if you could tell me who you are." WHAT?!! She didn't know who I was?! She really had no idea? "I'm Shuyin." Wait a second. Shouldn't I be telling her I was Tidus? Nah. She wasn't one of those fans. "I'm Lenne. It's nice to meet you, Shuyin." So now we were acquainted. "So, uh, would ya like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime?" She put her finger up to her chin and pondered, jokingly. I guess I had definitely taken away any seriousness she would have ever shown me with my entrance. "Hmm, I'll have to think about that." She kept up this stunt of hers for a while until she saw how annoyed I was getting. "I'm just kidding. I'd love to. But, I don't drink coffee so how about I just give you my number and you can call me when you think of something?" I couldn't help but smile at her since she was being so kind to this klutz. "Ok, sure!" She wrote her number down and handed it to me. I took it, smiled and decided I should high tail it out of there before I lose anymore of my dignity. "O wait! Watch out! You didn't unlock the..." Smash. My face hit the door hard and again I heard two sides of laughter. "You didn't unlock the door." Lenne said to me with giggle after giggle. I quickly unlocked the door and looked back at her with my million dollar smile to try and mitigate my humiliation, but when I turned back to open the door, I smacked it right into my face again. That was it. I lost all of my self-respect and saw my friends crying from laughing too hard. They were on the floor, gasping for air, and Lenne was tearing as well. I'd never hear the end of this. My friends would never let me live that down.  
  
The next day, I called her. I asked her if she wanted to go see that new movie that was playing. Personally, I didn't want to see that movie because it was some sappy chick flick, but it would give me time to talk to her and show her that I wasn't some bumbling idiot. She said that she'd meet me there so I said okay and got dressed. I waited less than a minute for her when I got there. "Hi, Lenne!" I greeted her and a split second later, I realized my mistake. I was Tidus to everyone in Zanarkand and I was a blitzball superstar. She was Lenne and also the most famous songstress. It didn't take long for an army of fans to stampede our way hunting us down for autographs and pictures. I quickly grabbed her arm and ran with her to the only place I knew I'd be able to talk with her. First, I lost the fans by running into a hotel. Then, I left the hotel through a side exit, and dashed, with Lenne, to my house. Upon entering, the both of us gasped for breath and she giggled at me again. She was expecting the mob of fans and it was just the funniest thing for her to see me grab her and run all over Zanarkand.  
  
"I'm having so much fun with you." She laughed while she headed for a sofa in my living room. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you were so popular." I said as I plopped myself on a sofa across from her. "Having all these fans can actually be fun when it lets me do things like this. Although, it also prevents me from being able to go places in public." She sighed and looked at me. She got up from her seat and walked over to me, sitting down next to me. "Something I didn't understand was when they started yelling, Tidus. Why would they be yelling about him?" She must have never even been to a blitzball game before. They don't show those games on SV. "You've never been to a blitzball game, huh?" I asked her. "No. Too many people would spot me for me to be able to do that." She said with a bit of grief. "Well, have you ever tried sneaking in?" I asked her since that was how I had gotten into her concert the day before. "Sneak in? Isn't that illegal?" She asked me. "Well, you have to do something or else you'll be missing out on everything Zanarkand has to offer." I answered. "Like you?" I smiled at her. "I have an idea. How about we sneak into the Abes game that will be taking place in two days? It'll be fun." "Sure! So you'll show me my first ever blitzball game. Is it really that fun? I've heard from the choreographers that it's always a great spectacle." The question allowed me to blab on about the wonders on my profession, so being me, I spouted out all my personal accounts of playing for the Abes without once mentioning that I was Tidus. "So you know a lot about this game. Well, from what you've said, I can't wait until two days from now." She responded after my practically hour-long speech. "Great. I'll just give you my address and number and you can come over and I'll take you to the stadium." I wrote down my address and my number and handed her the piece of paper. She took it and asked me if I would accompany her back to her house. She didn't want to walk by herself. Of course, I said yes and off we went. The good thing was that she didn't live too far away from me and so it was easy for me to show her how to get from my house to hers without drawing the attention of fans. When we got to her house, she decided to write down her address, too, wanting me to pick her up at her house for the game. I took the paper, said goodbye and headed home. She blew me a kiss and said she'd see me in two days. 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Zanarkand Abes vs. Besaid Aurochs  
  
Two days passed by quickly and I was on my way to picking up Lenne for our date. I reached the door, knocked, and Lenne popped out, gorgeous as ever. "So you ready?" I asked. "Yes. Let's get going." She was extremely hyped up about seeing her very first game and I didn't blame her. After what I had said about it, she probably thought it was the greatest thing since spheres. We reached the stadium via my "underground." In other words, we went to the back of the stadium and in through the locker room. I made sure no one saw me in there so I could get past easily and get Lenne to her seat. She sat down and stared at the center of the stadium where I'd soon be playing. "I'm gonna go... get us some food, ok?" I lied. I just wanted it to be a shock when the home team came out and I'd show up when Tidus was called.  
  
I went to the locker room and changed into gear. A few of my friends came up to me and acted out that door incident from three nights ago from the concert. "Haha, very funny. C'mon guys, leave me alone." The guys just stood there and recited the broken speech I made to Lenne that day. I knew they wouldn't let this go. "C'mon, cut it out! We got a game to win. Let's go." We all headed out as the announcer began to shout out the names of the team. I, of course, was called out last. I came prancing out and yelled out to my teammates what I yell out every single game. "So, what's our goal?" The entire crowd along with my teammates answered with the same response I've heard a thousand times over. "VICTORY!!!" That was our tradition. It was what we did every single game. I looked over to Lenne. She saw me and her look was priceless. Her eyes stared, her mouth was wide open, and her hands were to the sides of her face. I quickly put my finger up to my mouth to tell her not to give away my identity, winked at her, and went to play some blitzball.  
  
The entire game was not really that amazing. The Aurochs, though a great team indeed, was nowhere near as good as the Abes. I decided to finish off the match with my father's patented Jecht Shot. I put my head under the ball, popped it and myself up and out of the water, spun around, and kicked the sucker hard. The ball smacked right into the side of the orb of water that we played in and our score went up as the timer went to zero. That shot was never blocked. No one could figure out a way to prevent me from scoring when I used that shot. However, I only did it to impress the fans. It would be lame if I did it all the time. Tonight, I did it for Lenne. It was her first game after all. I had to show her something special. When I headed back to the locker, I smirked again in Lenne's direction. Apparently, some girl in front of her thought I was doing it to her and she swooned over me. I blushed a little at the thought and went to change. After I was back in my civvies, I went back to where Lenne was sitting.  
  
The crowd was gone and she had not been spotted. "So, Tidus, huh?" She interrogated. "I can explain." I put my hands up and playfully made a smirk that someone who was caught doing something wrong would make. She giggled and we made our way out the front door. The game was over so the people had gone home. It was safe to leave through the front door, now. We got to her house and sat on her doorstep. "So, are you Tidus or Shuyin?" She began. "I'm Shuyin. I just call myself Tidus so that people won't be able to find out where I live and bug me." I explained my entire life story to her. How I started playing blitzball, when I joined the Abes, what my life was like being a sports star, and finally, we got up to my dad. "My father's name was Jecht. He was the greatest blitzball player anyone had ever seen until I came along. That shot I made to win the game back there was his shot. Back then, he dominated the sport and no one could even hope to beat him. Unfortunately, that fact made him very cocky. He'd always gloat about how great he was and that really got on my nerves. I mean he definitely was the best, but his attitude was one of the worst. I promised myself that if I ever became that good, I wouldn't act like he did." "Where is your father now?" She asked, wanting to dig into my past some more. "He's dead. It's been around a decade since he drowned. See, he was off practicing blitz in the sea one day and a tidal wave came up and he wasn't prepared for it, I guess. I don't really know what happened because he didn't tell us where he was going. I heard news of his death from some sailor who just happened to see him get hit by the wave. He told me that they never found his body and that was fine by me. When word got out of this, many people wouldn't believe it and said that he had to be alive somewhere since no one found his body." "Do you believe that that might be true?" She asked me, a solemn look in her eyes. "Nah. I don't believe those people. My old man is gone and I don't really care. Everyone knew I didn't really like my father and I never tried to hide it. In all the interviews I've gone through, they've asked me what my relationship to him was and I always told them that I didn't care for the guy. I just can't like someone who acts like such a jerk all the time." I looked down at my feet and Lenne knew to stop asking me about him. "So, how's life as a famous songstress?" I said trying to start up the conversation again. "O, I love what I do. It's just great to sing and dance. I feel so happy when I perform." Her eyes lit up as she thought about her career. "Is it really that great? I mean singing and dancing can get tiring can't it?" That got her to open up. She told me all the wonderful emotions you get from singing and how you make people become tranquil as you alleviate all their stress. "Singing can do that?" I was a bit skeptical. "If you don't believe me, then how about I hold a private concert for you right now?"  
  
She grabbed my hands and dragged me into her house. She plopped me down on one of her couches, took out a microphone and started to sing. One song after another made me feel so calm and relaxed. Her voice was so soothing and silky. "So, now do you get it?" She walked up to me after she had finished just about every song she had ever written. I didn't respond. Instead, I got up, put one arm around her waist, and kissed her. She was shocked at first, but relaxed herself in my arms. After a while, although it seemed like forever, I broke the kiss to look at her face. She was the one. I knew she was the one. I knew because her singing melted the barrier I'd sealed my heart away in. With my father being such a jerk, I never could open up to anyone. I hid my feelings away from the world. I told this girl my entire life story. I listened to her entire life story. Usually, I'd never stick around for conversations like that. I'd say something and leave. She was different.  
  
"Shuyin?" Lenne was looking at me funny since I was kinda staring at her while I thought those things. "O. Sorry. I was just... thinking." I said, letting her go. "Are you okay?" She asked me noticing my mind was elsewhere. "Yea. I'm fine. You sing really well." I said changing the subject. "Thank you. You're sure you're okay?" She still felt that something was on my mind. "Of course. Anyway, it's getting late. I should probably go." I wasn't ready to admit my feelings to her. Besides, it was only the second date and the first one wasn't exactly eventful. "Ok. Wanna come over tomorrow? We can talk some more. I enjoy these conversations." "Sure, I'd love to." I said while moving towards the door. "Goodnight, Lenne." I said softly before heading out and going home. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: House Call  
  
What was I thinking yesterday, calling her the one? I've been on practically one real date with her and suddenly she's my soul mate? I think I jumped to that idea a bit too quickly. It was probably that private concert she put up for me. I mean her songs could melt anyone so why wouldn't it have the same exact effect on me?  
  
Anyway, I still was going to go over her house since I agreed to before I left that day. I had just reached her door when, suddenly, she burst outside and tackled me to the ground.  
  
"Surprised?" She was on top of me with her arms pinning me down. "Yea. I didn't expect to be pounced on, today." Using my strength, I overpowered her and managed to sit up. I saw that she was losing her balance from being forced up like that so I quickly grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to do that." I apologized for nearly causing her an injury. She smiled at me and I knew she didn't care. "So, let's get off the floor and go inside." She got up, dusted herself off, and dusted me off, too, as soon as I hopped back up to my feet.  
  
I threw myself onto the same seat I had taken the night before. She walked around, looked out the window, turned around, thought a little, and then, she quickly ran upstairs. "Lenne?" I was confused. What was she up to? I heard a bunch of sounds coming from the ceiling so I decided to check up on her.  
  
Mid-way up the stairs, she started coming down, and brushed right past me, holding some kind of box. "Hey! What are you doing?" I was completely lost. "I'm gonna teach you how to sing!" Her excited voice filled the air with such a delightful sound as she began to rummage through her various albums and her other music collection. "Sing? Me? You want me to sing?" To hear me sing is like hearing a chocobo slide its beak across the side of an airship. Believe me if you've never heard that before, count your blessings. "Sure. Anyone can sing." She decided not to take to heart my lack of faith in my songster abilities.  
  
The lesson began as soon as she decided on the song she would use to teach me with. It was the song that would eventually become "our" song. She titled it "Real Emotion" and it was a new song that she just started and completed the day before, after I left. Apparently, that blitzball game and seeing me play gave her some inspiration. "So sing the line after I finish it, okay?" She looked at me with a small smirk. She knew she was going to be able to laugh like crazy in just a little while. "Okay. Whenever you're ready." I tried to fake an optimistic smile, but it probably didn't work as I saw her smirking a little more before she started. "Ano hiko koro no kanata ni" Her voice was so sweet. I really didn't want to ruin the feeling I was getting again from her song, but she was waiting for me. I repeated the line and sure enough, I must have shattered a few spheres. Lenne was too busy rolling on the floor and laughing to notice my reddening face. "I told you." I hung my head low. She looked up at me and stopped laughing. She picked herself up and put a hand on my cheek. "You sang fine." She was trying to comfort me. "You know what? Let's just keep at it. I know you'll get the hang of it sooner or later." Her other hand moved up to my other cheek and she looked at me, eyes full of kindness and sincerity.  
  
So we sang that song, and we sang that song again, and then we sang different songs, and I noticed that my voice was actually improving from chocobo beak on steel, to chocobo beak on steel that was covered with a thin layer of cotton. "See, you're improving. After some more practice, I'm sure you'll be able to sing just as well as me!" Lenne smiled at me while telling me that and I smiled back. "Sure. One of these days, I'll be right up there with ya, singing real emotion to all of Zanarkand!" I smirked, acting out what one of those hot shot opera singers would do while performing and it made her giggle a little. I put one arm out diagonal to my side and my hand on my chest, head raised up high and mouthing the words to one of the songs we were singing.  
  
Her eyes suddenly lit up. "What? You didn't think I was serious, did you?" I was mostly sure she wasn't excited about that, but I still didn't know why she was so perky all of a sudden. "No. I just thought of something. Why don't I teach you how to play the organ? That way, when you sing, you can also play a little background music. It might help you out." She seemed to really want me to become musically adept. "Um, okay. I hope I can do better with that than with singing." She giggled and took me downstairs to where she stored her organ.  
  
I sat in front of the giant metal instrument with the light beam keyboard and she showed me what each key sounded like. Simple enough. I could handle this. Having something else make sounds instead of my voice would be a lot better for me. I put my hands onto the keyboard. I just moved my fingers and to my luck, I actually was a natural. After a few hours of playing through some drills, I was ready to try to create a little tune. "See. So now you can sing to what you play." She was happy for me, and my newfound talent. I played on and the tune I played was rather eerie, but at least it sounded like music so that was good enough for me. I heard once that music comes from your soul. If my soul was really being portrayed by this tune, I had one heck of a dark one. "Now that you're familiar with how this works, try to play the music for real emotion." She sounded really impressed with how well I was playing. "Alright. Let's see." I had memorized the keys and knew what sounds they made. I knew what sounds I could make with combinations of these keys. How did I know? I haven't a clue. It just came naturally to me. I started playing from my memory of how the song's melody went and as I expected, I played it perfectly. The melody from that song reverberated throughout her house. "Ano hiko koro no kanata ni, egaiteta basho ni iru; tomoho ni kureteta ni suru, keredomo wo, modorenai..." She sang along with my playing and both of us enjoyed the sounds of the other's talent. Her voice soothed me. The organ enchanted her.  
  
When we finished, both of us were exhausted. We hadn't stopped at just that one song, you see. We went through every song she had in her house. It was around 10 o'clock and the two of us just had no energy at all left. "You are so wonderful." She was commenting on my playing. "Nowhere near as beautiful as your singing." That was for sure. As much as I was a natural at the organ, she still sang in a totally different class. "Tomorrow, I'm going to be getting ready for an upcoming concert. Would you like to come with me and watch me rehearse?" I guess she wasn't at all tired of my presence. "I would, but the thing is that tomorrow, I also have practice. The season has been going good for us and we need to be in tip top shape for each game so that we'll make it to the championship." I spoke the truth. The Abes really needed to practice and train and I, being their champ, needed to be there, as well. I could see that she was slightly disappointed. I quickly thought of a solution. "From when to when are you rehearsing? The Abes and I are only gonna practice from 10 in the morning to around 4." "I'm going to be rehearsing the whole day. Not only that, but I'm going to try to finish a few of the songs I started from a month ago. I haven't had too much free time lately." I knew that she was cheered up by the fact that when I'd finish with the team, I'd be with her again. "So, I'll see ya tomorrow after 4." "I'll be waiting." She smiled at me and I got on my feet. "Here." I offered my hand so she could get up off the floor. Her exhaustion had caused her to lie down on her back, one arm to her side, the other on her forehead. "Why thank you kind sir." She gently placed her hand onto mine and I picked her up. "I'd better get going. It's late and you need your rest." I yawned and slowly moved to the door. "Goodnight." "Goodnight, Lenne."  
  
When I got home I thought, maybe I wasn't so foolish in thinking she was the one. She and I had only known one another for a little while, but we hit it off rather nicely. Only time could tell what we would become. 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."  
  
At 9, I woke up and got myself ready for practice. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, ate, and such and such. I got to the blitz stadium at exactly 10. "Hi, guys." I waved over to a couple of my friends, both who were present during my first run-in with Lenne. "What's been going on with you? Tell us about what happened with Lenne." They all wanted an update on the status of my relationship since that fiasco five days ago. "My lips are sealed. You won't get anything from me. So deal with it. We got some work to do." I quickly walked past them to the locker room area and started to change into my training gear. "C'mon, man. Tell us. What's with the secrecy?" They were still trying to pry and I was not about to give. "Sorry. You'll just have to keep guessing." I grabbed a blitzball and hurled it at one of them. He caught it just as he saw me dashing out towards the arena.  
  
Training today wasn't any different than any other day. Basically, it was everyone on me. They had to hone in their skills as a team and I had to give them a challenge. The thing I could've always done without, though, was the incessant yelling from coach. He'd tell us all to do this and that and we'd have to, otherwise he'd get pissed off. The guy didn't know what he was doing at all. I mean he'd never played the game before; he just got the position handed down to him by his old man. His father was actually a decent coach. Those strategies and maneuvers developed by him were what made the Abes unstoppable in any game. "No, not like that. Go to the left more." The coach's "helpful" advice again.  
  
Finally, he got a call and left us by ourselves. I started swimming around and one of the guys tried to peg me with the ball. I easily moved around it, grabbed it and thought about what I should do with this ammunition. I was just about to use the blitzball to bash one of the guys when suddenly, one of the rookies that was behind me grabbed the ball from my hands and grinned at me. "I bet I could do that Jecht shot better than you." He said smugly. The kid was confident, I had to give him that. The newbie put his head under the ball, popped it and himself out of the water, and it looked like he was actually going to succeed in doing it. He spun around like I had done several times in games and tried to kick it, but unfortunately for him, his coordination was off. His foot passed by it, a little off to the right. When he landed, he turned around, smirking because he thought he must have done the move correctly. To his surprise, the ball was right in front of him and the guys began laughing madly at his failure. "Hey. You just need some more practice, that's all." I was never one to take insults or mockery to heart. The kid tried and he didn't succeed. I mean it did take me a little while to learn how to perform my dad's move properly. The shot wasn't as easy as it looked. "Here, let me show you. Sooner or later, you'll get it. Just don't rush things." I put my head under the ball and popped up out of the water. I showed the team the Jecht shot yet again and landed back in the water, the rookie looking a bit upset at himself when I turned to face him. "See. Just keep at it. Anybody can do it." I wasn't sure if that was true, but I thought, if I could, why not someone else? The rookie fled the scene. He went back to the locker room and one of my friends patted me on the back.  
  
We all left the arena since it was almost 4 and no one wanted to wait for the coach to come back and dismiss us. I was glad that the team agreed with leaving early since I really didn't want to be late in seeing Lenne. She meant a lot to me.  
  
After I finished changing, I quickly left, eager to go see Lenne. I promised, after all, that I would keep her company after practice. I got to her house and saw a note posted on her door for me. She wasn't rehearsing at home. She had forgotten to tell me that last night so she figured I'd come to her house and see the note she put up to guide me to her studio. The place wasn't too far from her house. It was just a quick 10-minute jog. When I got there, the receptionist told me that Lenne was waiting for me on the 5th floor, second door to my left. I would know the room was the right one if it had a picture of a dove holding an olive branch in its beak. Before I could leave, though, the receptionist also wanted my autograph. She was a fan. It was she who told Lenne about how great that Tidus of the Zanarkand Abes was. That's how she knew about him, but nothing about who he was other than that he played blitz really well.  
  
I got up to the 5th floor and looked to my left. The door with the dove on it was right where I was expecting it to be. I knocked and another receptionist opened the door for me. "Hello, do you... have an... O my stars! TIDUS!!!" She was floating on clouds by just seeing me. Of course, she wanted an autograph as well and when I gave it to her, she fainted. "Um... Can you... tell me... err, where Lenne is?" I knew it was no use. The girl was unconscious from her excitement at seeing me in person. "I could tell you where she might be." Lenne stood behind me with her hands behind her and a mischievous look on her face. "O really? That would be great. Where is she?" I was never one to pass up on an opportunity to mess around. "Shuyin." She nudged me in my chest, playfully. "O, so there you are." The both of us laughed and went inside her office. The place was big. It had a dance pad, recording room, a room with a desk space that had a keyboard and stuff, and other things you'd find in a studio for a singer that I couldn't name. "I just finished recording real emotion and took a break. So when you came here and found my receptionist, I was off getting a cup of tea." That explained why she was behind me when I first arrived. She was just returning from getting a drink and saw me there. "So that's how you got behind me." She took my hand and led me to the room with her desk with the keyboard. "I was about to get started on finishing these songs. After I'm done, we can sing together on the dance pad up front." She sat down on her chair and showed me a few pieces of paper with her incomplete songs on them. "Did you already practice the songs you were planning on singing at your concert?" I didn't want to deter her focus from what she was here to do. "Yea. I did that all morning and then I recorded real emotion before you got here." That was good. I didn't want her to put her attention on me and ruin her next concert. "Did you tell all of them that Tidus was the one you were meeting?" I remembered the events of earlier. "Yes. I remembered that you didn't want people to know your name was Shuyin so I told everyone here that I was meeting Tidus. They all screamed with excitement." She smiled. "Yea. I get that a lot. You most likely get that, too, from all the guys." It had to be the case. I was the number one topic of discussion amongst the girls of Zanarkand and she was the same for the guys. "Yes. Any man who I come in contact with acts a lot like you did that first day when I saw you. At first I thought you were going to turn out just like them, but you aren't. You're normal with me. I like that." She looked at me and sighed. "I guess you should get back to work." I knew my presence was distracting her and that wasn't something I wanted. "You're right. I should get back to working on these songs. Would you like to stay here and watch me?" She wanted me to stay and I would, but not this close. She'd never be able to concentrate with me looking at her. "I'd better just wait outside. I'll check out some of your other songs in that room with that thing that plays your records." So I didn't know what those devices were. I'm a blitzball player, not Falio. He's another singer from back then during our parent's time by the way. "You mean the DP-player? Do you know how to run that thing?" She smirked at me knowing full well my lack of expertise in the music business' various types of equipment. "Um, I'll figure it out." I nervously said while looking away. "Here, I'll show you how to work it and then you can keep occupied while I work." Great. She showed me how you flip open the cover, slip in a DP, lock the cover in place and flip the little switch to start it up. Then, she hooked up a headset for me to use and told me how to control the volume. "Thanks. I think I got it." I put on the headset and began messing around with a few things while she went back to work. I thought I was getting the hang of the controls until I accidentally increased the volume a little too high and well... "ARGhh..." I cringed from the rapid increase in sound intensity, but quickly muffled my yelp so I wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. I was in luck, as after a while, Lenne still didn't show up to see what was wrong. She didn't hear my short howl of pain. I readjusted the volume to manageable levels and decided that I shouldn't mess around with the switches anymore.  
  
Listening to all her songs again on the DP recording was just as good as hearing her sing live. It was probably around three hours later when Lenne took off the headset and woke me up from my tranquility. "I'm back. I finished the songs." "Great." She grabbed me and pulled me out of my seat. "Would you like to hear them?" She was pretty excited. "Sure. Anything you come up with has got to be good." Hey, it was completely true. Her songs were always the best. She walked me back over to where she had been for those three hours and brought out a microphone and those pieces of paper. "Let's go." She closed the door behind her and took me to the dance pad. She sat me down on one of the chairs in front and got onto the dance floor. Naturally, those songs she sung were beautiful. Her dancing was fantastic. When she finished, I got up and clapped, hearing two sets of sounds. I wasn't her only audience. Her receptionist was back up from before and applauded Lenne's newest hits with me. "Excellent songs, my lady." Yup. They sure were. Lenne took a bow and walked over to us. "Well, if you're finished here, I think you and Tidus should get going. It's getting late and you should go home now." The receptionist finished and opened the door for us. "Thank you and I'll see you in three days." Lenne waved goodbye as we headed for the seleva. It carried us back down to the lobby and I waved bye to that other receptionist before the both of us exited the studio to go back to her place. I walked her home and we talked about her thoughts for her concert and my thoughts about this season of blitzball. When we reached her house, I sent her in, said my goodbye and began to leave. "Goodbye." She waved as I departed back for my house. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Zanarkand Abes vs. Bevelle Jowiles  
  
It had been a few months and it came time for the championship game between the two reigning blitz teams. The Abes came a long way and Bevelle was our next and final target for the season. This game wasn't going to be easy as the team from Bevelle had to beat the Aurochs to get here. Now, even though our game with the Aurochs wasn't very spectacular, I knew that they were a really tough team to conquer. That game we played against them in the pre-season was just an off day for them. Last season, the championship game was us against them and we nearly lost had it not been for one miscalculation on their part that allowed one of the guys to score just one more goal than they did on us.  
  
So far, our team defeated the Al Bhed Psyches, Ronso Fangs, and Luca Goers in order to finally get here. Bevelle had to beat the Kilika Beasts, Guado Glories, and, of course, the Besaid Aurochs. The Al Bhed team was not really anything special and so that can't really compare to Bevelle. The Ronso were a lot of tough guys, but they weren't as swift upstairs. You could easily spot their strategy. The Luca Goers was something to gloat about when we beat them. All jokes aside, those Goers had the potential to rival teams as strong as the Guado Glories. Then again, those Guado were sneaky people and they showed it in their blitz games. How the Jowiles beat them so easily in their last game was something that impressed me.  
  
Getting on to current standings, the reigning record has been held at a tie between the Aurochs, Jowiles, and our very own Abes for having thirty victories each. The Goers were next in line with a record of twenty-five. The Abes were actually racking up straight victories as of these past few seasons. Every team across Spira wanted us defeated. Unfortunately for them, my father had won every game he played except his first two and I continued the straights for the five years I'd been around since his death. If we beat Bevelle, we'd be the all time best team with a straight record of fifteen victories and an overall record of thirty-one. This was a game we had to win. It would make the Abes the undisputable champions of blitz for all time.  
  
Of course, Lenne was sitting amongst the crowd. She wouldn't miss this game for anything. This time, we were in Bevelle's stadium so she didn't need to worry about over-excited fans. They were all in Zanarkand... Well, some were here, too. Those would be the super fans. They would bravely cheer for us while the citizens of this city shunned and threw things at them. I admired their courage.  
  
Ok. Can't think about these things, now. I got a game to win. Then, it hit me. 'Championship game with the world record at stake.' This was going to be a tremendous challenge. Ho boy. I was shaking. I was actually shaking. What was so I nervous about? I'm Tidus, dammit. Well, that thought didn't really help. "Hey! C'mon buddy. Let's get out there and win us a blitz game!" One of the guys shouted with a pat to my back, trying to give me confidence. "Yea... Let's get out there!" I got up and headed out with the team this time. We were going to come out first, since we were in the rival's stadium. They wouldn't announce our names like back home.  
  
When we were all out of the back, it was time for our signature game starting tradition. "So, what's our goal?" I asked the Abes, yet again. "VICTORY!" Only the guys on the team and those super fans shouted this time. Of course that was to be expected. We weren't in a stadium of Abes fans anymore. We were in a stadium filled to the brim with Jowiles fans. I took my seat along the side of the Sphere Pool and waited for it to fill with water. This was it. Time to claim the title of best team of blitz.  
  
The game started and I had to start us off. A game started basically with two players in the center and the ball would be thrown upward. I had to get the ball before that other guy so that we might have an early advantage. The ball was shot up through the water. I swam up and so did my opponent. I reached for the ball and... NO. He batted it away from my hand right as my fingers felt its surface. At that point, my job was to keep them from scoring on us. I quickly swam towards the guy with the ball. He tried to lose me, but it's unfortunate for him that I'm no ordinary player. I maneuvered around his attempts to get away from me and tackled him out of the pool, grabbing the ball just before. Time to show these guys what blitz was all about. I swam at the speed of a torpedo straight for the goal. The goalie looked at me like I was a real torpedo, ready to blow him to kingdom come. I let go of the ball near my legs and spun side-ways, kicking the sucker as I came around. The scene I witnessed just after I kicked the ball was hilarious. That goalie, shocked initially by my speed in the water, became petrified as the ball flew from my foot towards him. He didn't even try to move as it hit the triangular field behind him. I scored that easily. I thought this team would be a challenge.  
  
It was the opposition's turn to have the ball. I watched as their star player made a few hand motions to his team, signaling for some sort of formation they would use against us. I moved in front of the guy and he tried to get past me to keep up his strategy. I didn't know yet what that strategy was so I figured that I'd just keep him occupied while my team tried to stop them from scoring. After a while, I started to see what was going on. This player that I was blocking was a decoy. They wanted me to stay with him. The strategy was to keep me a distance away so that the real star player, who looked almost identical to the one I was guarding, could maneuver past my team and secure a goal. I was not going to let that happen. I quickly swam away from the decoy and found an opening to get at the true target. Just as I was about to get to him though, one of their team knocked a rookie, the same one who had tried my special move, into me. It threw off my coordination just enough so that when I got to the star, he just had to push off of me, and spike the ball into our goal. What happened was that originally, he was going straight for the goal and our goalie was ready for it. However, by kicking off of me, he changed his position to diagonally above the goal and got it in before our goalie could respond. I caused the score to become a tie.  
  
The game went on with both teams scoring when it had the ball. The first half passed with the score at a tie; 6-6. Bevelle had been watching us. I guess they knew we were the team to beat and tried to key in on our weaknesses. They knew I'd go after the best players of any team so that the rest of the Abes could easily pick apart the rest of the opposition. They knew that the other guys liked to have more coverage towards the goal and less further from it so that it was more difficult to get a score from close up. I had to think of something. It was now getting towards the end of the game and I didn't want to play in overtime, since it looked like we'd end the second half with a tie. Lenne was sitting up there in the crowd. I couldn't disappoint her. A tie meant that our two teams were equals and I for one wanted everyone to know that the Abes are second to none. It would give Lenne something to remember.  
  
My mind back to the game, I saw that it was our turn with the ball and my closest friend, Rothel, just scored. The score was 12-11. I had to make sure that Bevelle didn't score the next goal. I was going to make the final score be a 13-11. I had to so that we'd win and that would be that.  
  
The Jowiles tried to get me distracted again, with the clock down to a minute and a half. Too bad, at this point, I knew who really was their star and I wasn't going to let myself be fooled more than once. I chased after him and I saw him ball up a fist. He was obviously worried that I was going to ruin his plan of attack. I swam up next to him and ducked, moving right underneath his form. "I'll take that!" I confidently said as I reached upwards to grab the ball from his hands. "I can't let that happen!" He fumed and kicked me in the back as I went to grasp the ball. That wasn't good. They probably knew I had a slight back problem from last season that hadn't yet vanished. The star Auroch knocked me out of the pool last season, when I was... err, um... trying to... ugh. Okay, I was flirting with these girls. ANYWAY, getting back to the game at hand...  
  
I winced at the pain in my spine, while trying to look for him. I found him and saw what he was up to. He placed the ball over him and head-butted it out of the Sphere Pool, him right under it. He spun around. The Jecht Shot! He was going to use my move against me. The shot was unblockable! He was going to tie the score and we'd go into overtime! That's not how I wanted to end the game! I couldn't let that happen! But, to stop him, I had to deflect my own invincible shot! He kicked it hard and it flew towards the goal. Our goalie just moved aside, knowing it would be useless to try and defend against it. I swam towards the ball's trajectory and stopped just in front of it, with my back facing it. Everyone I could see was in shock. What could I have possible been thinking?  
  
This was it. I spun my left leg around and the ball smacked into it hard. I winced, my eyes shutting tightly. I wouldn't care to go through that again. Time seemed to freeze after that stunt. The ball was floating in front of me as my injured leg passed it by. I had one chance. I kicked it again with my right leg. The ball flew from my right leg, forward. Everything besides the ball and myself was frozen solid. I watched in complete disbelief as that blitz ball slowly streamed across the Sphere Pool and hit the goal on the other side. I had done it. I countered the Jecht Shot. I won the game. The buzzer sounded and the second five-minute period was over. The final score was 13-11. Victory was ours. The Zanarkand Abes were the champions of the world. Victory...  
  
"VICTORY!!!" All of the Abes yelled in sync as we headed back to the locker room. I was still in shock over how I ended that game. The guy had used my shot perfectly and I... I... "I rock!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as my friends lifted me onto their shoulders and drunkenly cried out, "Tidus! Tidus!" They put me down and some guys from behind dumped a big barrel of B.T. PowerThirst on top of me. We had every reason to party and go crazy. We had won the season. Our score beat the Aurochs of Besaid and the Jowiles of Bevelle.  
  
An hour or so later, I left the locker room and the team. They all looked back at me with a little disappointment since I was leaving them to party by themselves. I was sorry for doing it, but I had other plans. I had a girl waiting for me back at the arena, who I was in love with. After an hour, everyone would have cleared out so she and I would be by ourselves. "Lenne." I said softly, looking at her sitting quietly, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. She breathed deeply, sighed and looked up at me. "You are incredible." She looked into my eyes. I smiled and took her hand. "You told me that that Jecht Shot was untouchable. You told me that even you couldn't block it, but... you just did." She looked back over to where the Sphere Pool had been. It was put away to be used again next season. I put my hand on her cheek and moved her face so I could look into her eyes again. "I did it for you. You inspired me to block it. I wouldn't have thought to do it until I met you. You were sitting there, in the crowd, watching me. I couldn't disappoint you." I said, completely lost in those hazel pearls. I did do it for her. Yes, I wanted to win. However, I wanted to win that badly because of her. I could have easily let the game go into overtime and scored then, but I wanted to give her a real show. Beating my own shot definitely counts. Her eyes shifted downward, at my leg. "But you didn't hurt yourself, did you? She noticed my pained expression back in the game; right after my leg slowed the ball. "I'm perfectly fine." She touched my leg and I cringed from the horrible jolt. "No you aren't. Let's get you home and I'll have a look at that injury." She said softly, but sternly.  
  
We walked slowly towards a hover-glide station, Lenne's hand on my chest, trying to support me. I limped a lot. I guess I didn't even realize to what extent the damage that blitzball did on my leg was. Suddenly, I was in the midst of a crowd. We both forgot that I just won an incredible championship game in the most tremendously outrageous way. "So Tidus, how did you do it?" A reporter asked. "What was going through your head when Areth performed your father's shot?" Another reporter inquired. "Does this mean that the Super Shot really isn't all that invincible?" A third one questioned, not knowing the name of my move. "Ah, look. I'm kinda..." I tried to dodge them, but was bombarded with microphones. The questions were endless and annoying. I looked all around me and saw a sea of these leeches from every which way. Then, I noticed a little further on, a few menacing looks from, if I had to take a guess, Areth and his Jowiles. I didn't like that look. I really didn't like the look Areth gave me next. He smirked like something was going to happen and I was going to be too late to find out.  
  
The reporters redirected my attention back to them with their incessant noise. "Ok, ok! The Jecht Shot might not be unblockable. I don't know. I just know that I blocked it for Lenne." I shouted. "Who's Lenne?" Some of them asked. At first, I was taken aback a little. However, I realized a moment later that this was Bevelle. They didn't know Lenne. She was nobody to them. Heck, I wasn't anyone to them. I just did something really cool and they wanted to know why. After they were done with me, I'm sure they'd just make a half-minute report, a short paragraph-long article, and they'd be back to talking about next season and how the Jowiles would stomp on the Abes then. "This is Lenne." I looked at the love of my life, cowering before the reporters while still trying to keep me on my feet. "So anyway, what was going through you're mind when Areth used your shot?" They switched their attention back to me. "What was I thinking? I was thinking, 'Holy crap!' The guy was gonna tie the score. I just thought about stopping him. I couldn't let him tie the game. I have a reputation to uphold." I said. The reporters took a few notes, asked me a few bits of my history, and wrapped it up. It was over.  
  
Lenne and I boarded the hover-glide that was headed out for Zanarkand. I yawned and put my head back when we sat down. Lenne was probably tired. She put her head down on my chest and put her arms around my waist before falling asleep. I looked at her. I was one lucky guy. Not only did I have such a great victory in the record books, a big house, and lots of gil to spend on anything I wanted, but I also had her. I had someone to give my life a purpose. That purpose was to protect her. It was to keep her safe, keep her happy, and give her my all. The guys on the Abes were close to me, too, but none of them could give me this definition.  
  
We reached Zanarkand and the stop closest to my house. I gently woke Lenne up and got off the hover-glide with her. She continued to support me with her delicate hand on my chest. We walked up to my house and she brought me over to my sofa. She elevated my leg slowly to the coffee table in front of the sofa, careful not to hurt it. Once my leg was rested on the table, she began to check out the damage. It wasn't bad at all, but she looked at me like I had just fought a war and was mortally wounded. I couldn't help but smile at her. "I'll get you some ice." She quickly got up and walked over to my freezer. I heard a few clanks and crunches as she dumped the ice in my freezer into a towel and cracked the cubes with the hilt of a butcher knife. She came back over to me, putting the towel with the crushed ice onto my leg. At first, the sudden cold felt like needles being shoved through my bone. Then, my leg went numb. I felt the swelling slow down as my leg began to get colder. Lenne held the sack of ice on it for over an hour, without getting exhausted once. She really cared about my injury. My mind filled with tranquility as I gazed at her. She, on the other hand, looked pained. It looked like this bruise was equivalent to something like having a sword shoved into your gut and explode. I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. She couldn't act like this whenever I got hurt. People get hurt all the time. I didn't want her to be so distraught over such a trivial thing. "Lenne, I'm fine. You don't have to worry so much." I said lightly. "I just don't want to see you in pain." Lenne's eyes watered slightly. "Lenne, if this is how you're going to react whenever I get hurt, I don't think you want to come to anymore of my tougher games." I smiled as I said this. Lenne sighed and smiled as well. She nodded and took away the ice, looking to see the condition of my wound. Noticing that it was mostly better, she felt my leg, knew it was cold enough, and went back to the kitchen to put the towel into the sink. When she came back, I was trying to stand up. My leg was still a little numb, but I was fine. Lenne didn't agree, though, seeing how she quickly plopped me back onto my sofa and scolded me with her eyes. I kept trying to get Lenne to lighten up, telling her that this injury wasn't as bad as she was making it. This went on for at least another two hours until, finally, I was too exhausted to talk and fell asleep. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Summoners of Zanarkand.  
  
When I woke up, Lenne was right next to me, sound asleep. I remembered her concern about my leg. If she cared this much for all her loved ones, I felt sorry for her. It must have been pretty stressful to worry about others so much, and not about yourself.  
  
When Lenne arose, she found herself face-up, with a blanket covering her. I was in the kitchen, cooking some breakfast when I noticed her groggily sit up. She turned in the direction of the sound of stir-frying to see me, trying my best to make scrambled eggs with sausage slices and leek. She smiled at me and walked over. Upon seeing my creation, she gave me a peck on the cheek and asked me where my bathroom was so she could freshen up. When she left, I started humming a nice little tune to myself, moving onto making some fried rice.  
  
Lenne came skipping back, a bright smile on her face. She sat down at the dining table right outside my kitchen and put her hands together, making herself look like an innocent little schoolgirl who was patiently awaiting breakfast. I played along, strolling in with two bowls, one for her and one for me. I strutted back into the kitchen and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and two napkins. I placed one pair of chopsticks and a napkin in front of her, and took my seat. "Bon Appetite!" I said trying to sound like a waiter at a fancy restaurant. I'm pretty sure it came out wrong, but she didn't seem to notice so I didn't care. She took a taste test to see how well I actually cooked. When I told her my life story before, I did mention a little that I learned it so I'd be more independent just in case I didn't get married before leaving home. She pretended that it was poisoning her and I didn't realize she was kidding. "Lenne!" I yelled, mentally punching myself for killing her. She cracked up at my serious face, making it turn completely apple red. "It tastes really good. I didn't know you could cook so well." She calmly stated, trying very hard not to burst into uncontrollable laughter. I just sat down and hung my head. "I can't believe I fell for that." I mumbled lowly. All Lenne could do was giggle slightly to prevent herself from exploding.  
  
After all was settled again, we continued eating and chatting about future plans and the likes.  
  
When we finished, I decided to take her to Macalania, but she wanted to go back to her place first. Of course, seeing that it was a bright day out, we had to take the scenic route, for fear of fan bombardment. We got to her house and there was a notice on the door. "You have been chosen to become a summoner. You must comply..." She read the notice aloud. I had no idea what it meant, but she apparently did. "I have to go. Yu Yevon has chosen me." She said seriously. "What exactly does that mean? I don't understand. I thought summoners were trained at birth." I said, confused. "No. Summoners are chosen by Yu Yevon from a select group who have this marking and display certain traits." She told me while pointing to a symbol on the notice. It looked like a circle with a four branch lightning bolt in it and two smaller circles on either side of the bolt. "You have a birthmark like that?" I asked. "No. It is probably why I was chosen this late. My parents told me that I had acted in the same manner as most future summoners. They feared this day would come although they never mentioned why." Lenne said, her thoughts drifting back to her childhood. "You never told me this before." I was a little upset when I said this since we had both told one another our complete backgrounds earlier yet she never mentioned ever becoming a summoner. "I didn't really believe my parents about my having the potential so I didn't think I would ever need to tell you. I had almost forgotten it myself, anyway." She explained.  
  
I decided that she should probably check it out. I mean how many people can say he or she is not just the greatest voice in all of Spira, but a summoner, as well? She thought on it carefully and shrugged off any doubts in her mind, choosing to agree with me. Together, we traveled over to where the head of the summoners, Yu Yevon, resided.  
  
"It's good of you to join us, m'lady." Yu Yevon stated softly as we headed into his office. Once we were inside, he gestured for us to take seats in front of his desk before he went to sit at his own seat. "I know this will be difficult for you at first, but with my training, you will be just as perfect as any of my other summoners." He exclaimed, eyes filled with aging glee as he thought about his past trainees. "Father." A young woman from upstairs said. I turned, followed by Lenne. The woman looked slightly older than the two of us and had long, flowing hair like Lenne's only white. I guess she dyed it. Personally, I dislike make-up of any kind so her look wasn't something I cared for. Aside from that, her clothing was a bit exotic. She was wearing pretty much a bikini, with two tassels coming from the thong. She also had this thing on her head that had more tassels. Overall, she just looked a little over-extravagant. "Ah, Yunalesca. What can I do for you?" Yu Yevon asked his daughter, leaving his seat. "I just received a call from Zaon. Um..." She began, but stopped when she saw the two strangers behind her father. "Is this a bad time?" She continued. "No." Yu Yevon put an arm around the woman's back, moving her closer. They began whispering to each other. I heard bits of broken speech. The words I heard were: Might, soon, machina, power, unimaginable. I hadn't a clue as to what they were talking about, turning my head to Lenne with a puzzled look. She returned my gaze with the same confusion. "Ahem..." The summoner coughed, returning his attention to us. "Anyway, where was I?" He continued as his daughter took off. "Ah, yes. You will have the most memorable experiences of your entire life by joining the ranks." The man boasted. I knew he was talking to Lenne, but I couldn't help but think about my life and how it would change, as well. I mean, my girlfriend was gonna be a summoner. That was so cool. "Wait. I have a question." I started. "No, you cannot be a summoner, too." He grumbled. What was his problem? "No, that isn't it." I corrected, "I just wanted to know if she's gonna be safe. I've seen those Aeon things. They look dangerous." I wasn't going to let my love be torn to bits by some dumb bird thing with no feet. "Yes, it will definitely be a trying period. However, the Aeons need not concern you. They are very tame and kind-hearted creatures and your woman is quite safe in their care." He smiled at me reassuringly. "What dangers are there then?" I still hadn't a clue. "My boy. If you truly feel a need to be her... how shall I put it... guardian, I know someone who could teach you how to become her champion. He can teach you how to wield a sword with the most grace and skill anyone has ever seen." He said, giving me an alternative from just letting her do it alone. "Fine. I'll be Lenne's guardian... Why do I need a sword? You said Aeons weren't dangerous." I questioned. "Young man, I tell you the truth about the Aeons. However, you'll need a sword for the fiends that she will have to defeat, as well as the unsent who will fight back before she will be able to send them." Yu Yevon clarified. I nodded, showing him that I understood now. I was going to have to protect Lenne from those things that I've seen outside Zanarkand. Those things looked a bit more vicious than a girl with magical powers and a guy with a sword, though. How was I going to protect her against that? Plus, unsent, I heard, were dead guys that didn't want to stay dead. I had no idea how a sword was going to beat a ghost. It sounded almost like he wanted us to commit suicide... Nah. Why would he want that, right?  
  
Lenne and I walked side-by-side behind the old summoner, who was taking us to the training grounds. When we got there, he introduced me to the swordsman, Takuma. He would teach me how to fight. Interesting. Even if I wasn't going to be able to help Lenne with swordplay, I figured I'd still be getting another skill. Maybe I could impress the fiends and zombie guys to death with my beautiful form. I laughed to myself at the thought. "Here, take this." Takuma grunted, giving me a sword. I guess he didn't really trust me with a weapon seeing how the sword he gave me was duller than my old high school Math teacher. (Ba rump bum tssss.) "Okay. So, you want me to show you what I can do?" I asked since he hadn't made a sound since I took the sword. He cackled. Guess I was funny. He turned and waved over for me to follow him, walking towards another training ground. I started walking, turning my torso around to wave bye to Lenne before returning my focus on my "ninjeti" training.  
  
We stopped in the middle of a place with a bamboo-made floor and bamboo support beams. "So, we start here?" I asked. Before I could even think, he spun around with his sword swinging horizontally. By pure reflex, I held up my sword to my right, closing my eyes in fear. "Good." The psycho said calmly, putting his weapon down. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!" I screamed. "I tested your reflexes. You passed." He stated plainly. I just stared at him. What was he on? Why did Yu Yevon put me with this nut case? I was just about to take a deep breath to calm my nerves when, again from nowhere, Takuma attacked. This time, it was a downward, vertical slash. I quickly, I guess instinctively, held my blade up horizontally, far out in front of my face. It stopped the strike and I noticed my arm swerve the other blade to my left, with the use of the sword in its grasp. I moved Takuma's sword to his right and my weapon was freed from the clash, allowing it to continue back around its circular path, and right in front of Takuma's chest. Without a second thought, my body made me stab him. Why did I do it? I have no idea. It was like at that point, my mind shut down. It was blocked off from the physical world as it witnessed the body it used to control, perform actions it wasn't aware of. Takuma fell to the ground... with a smile? "You have done an excellent job. Your training is almost complete." He spoke proudly. I was so lost. How could this guy be smiling at me when I just killed him? How could my 'training' be almost complete? Looking at him, I realized why he wasn't worried about the big metal thing stuck in him. "You... you're... not... bleeding. H-how... how can that be?" I stuttered, utterly astounded by this revelation. I stuck my blade into his chest. Dull or not, the thing went through his skin. He was dead. "Do you see how much fight you have in you already? With a little more help from me, you'll be invincible in no time. Have you ever tried to deflect a bullet? After I'm through with you, you'll be able to do just that." He said easily, still smiling with my sword embedded in his torso. "You... you're... a... you're an unsent!" I managed to get out of my mouth. "Of course, I am, but do not be afraid. I'm here to teach you. You do want to learn how to protect your woman do you not?" He mocked. "I do, but unsent are ghosts that summoner's frag. You're an unsent. Why would you even consider being anywhere around here? I could just call Yu Yevon here right now to send you." I questioned, never for an instant moving my eyes from the supposed fatal wound I had caused. "Who was the one that assigned you to me? He knows that I am no longer of the living. However, my talents still hold value and therefore I cannot be sent." He enlightened. I had no idea that there were loopholes like this. Certain unsent were taken away from Spira to the Farplane, but others were allowed to remain. Did it work like that for fiends, too? Some had to be destroyed, but others are supposed to be around? This was a bizarre revelation. "So, are there rules or stipulations as to who stays and who gets sent?" I asked, wanting to know more. "As long as you still can serve a purpose on this plain, you must be allowed to stay." He responded plainly, "Now, if you wouldn't mind removing your weapon from my torso, perhaps I can still show you more about fighting aside from using the power of your anger."  
  
After a few more hours of sparring, I was exhausted. Takuma just took it like it was a nice, leisurely stroll through Genusted Park. "We are finished, for now. I have more to show you, but in due time. When you are in need of it, I will show you all." He cheerfully stated, turning his back on me. "I thought you're never supposed to turn from your enemies!" I exclaimed, leaping at him with my sword held out in front of me. Takuma knew what I was attempting and easily fended off the downward slash. "Like I said, still much left to show you." He smiled. I bowed to him, cautiously, and left the sparring grounds to get back to the new summoner.  
  
"Lenne!" I yelled, rushing over to her. She looked like she was going to collapse. "Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice down so that it wouldn't disturb her fragile form. "Yes. Bonding with fayth can be tiresome." She grinned at me before losing consciousness. "Lenne!" I exclaimed, blatantly revealing my worry. "She will be fine. New summoners are always removed of their strength when they first unite with a fayth," Yu Yevon stated, giving me a look of reassurance, "She just needs some rest, which I am sure you will more than happily provide." I nodded and began to leave, carrying Lenne in my arms. "I have a question." I began to ask. "I know. What are fayth? What is this bonding? And finally, why are certain unsent left as they are?" Yu Yevon guessed rather accurately, "A fayth is a spirit of one who has been lost to this world. A summoner must bond with a fayth in order to create an Aeon. An Aeon, as I'm sure you've seen, are magnificent creatures of the light. They aid us. Finally, an unsent is not a fayth. They are also departed lives and their souls linger on in the form of pyreflies. However, they cannot bond with a summoner. Unsent that bond with the living, possess them. Certain people who have passed possess something beneficial to generations to come. They are left on Spira to guide the new Spirans, such as yourself. I take it your training with Takuma was enlightening?" "Was it ever." I breathed, still recalling and recovering from the "incident." Yu Yevon nodded to me, his face in a pleasant mood. I decided I should get Lenne back to her house.  
  
When I got to Lenne's house, I realized that I didn't have her house keys. Lenne had to have them with her so I checked her purse. I haven't a clue as to why women carry those things. The stuff they shove in gets all jumbled together and you can't find a thing. "Got it." I thought aloud, looking at the keys in my hand. How cute. She had a moogle key chain and a little fluff ball thing added to her keys. I tried each one and wouldn't you know it, the last key fit. I wonder why that always happens. I picked Lenne up again and carried her gently in.  
  
After I got her in her bed and tucked her in softly, I looked around her room. It was the first time I'd been here. The place was filled with angels and doves. So many silvery wings. I guess most girls are like that. As for me, my room was really under-decorated. Judging by her room, she'd go crazy if she ever saw it. "I can't believe it's so plain! Do you not like yourself or something? Put up a poster, at least. Have some creativity. Put up one of those "guy" calendars even." I smiled at the thought. I looked at Lenne and decided I should stay the night. I didn't want to be away from her when the last time I saw her awake was when she fainted in my arms. I went downstairs to find a couch. I wasn't going to sleep upstairs in her room and freak her out when she woke up in the morning. Grabbing a throw pillow, I slumped onto the couch and fell asleep.  
  
I woke up feeling water around me. "Huh?" I mumbled, opening my eyes. A cage? I was in a cage! The cage was partially submersed in water. "Hello? Where am I?" I shouted in a weary voice. No answer. LENNE! Where was she? I looked around my prison, frantically searching for her. I noticed that the water I was in was some murky water. I guessed that I was in the local jail or in some POW cell somewhere outside Zanarkand. Both possibilities seemed ridiculous. Jail? I hadn't done anything wrong so there wasn't any logic. A POW cell? That couldn't be either since Zanarkand hadn't been in a war for centuries. "Lenne?" I called out, seeing if she was anywhere close by.  
  
The sound of gunfire directed my attention behind me. I saw a dark, cloaked figure. It was holding some kind of bladed rifle. It must have been that person who fired, but why and at whom? "Hey! Who are you? Can you get me out?" I asked, attempting to get the aid of this stranger. It didn't respond. Then, I noticed something next to it, lying in the water. Something was wrong. What was it that was in the water? It didn't look like it was alive. I strained as much as I could in the dimness of the prison to try and figure out what was floating in the water. NO! NO!! It couldn't be. "YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" I screamed, seeing what it was that was floating lifelessly. It was Lenne. She was face down in the water, her blood reaching my feet just then. "ANSWER ME! WHY DID YOU KILL HER!?" I screamed again. "IF I GET OUT OF THIS CAGE, YOU ARE SOOO DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!" I roared, tears falling down the sides of my face. She was gone. That damn bastard took her away from me. I felt my rage boiling in my veins. My eyes were not working right anymore. All I could see was the color red. She couldn't be gone. It couldn't be over like that. "Why... Why did you kill her?" I shouted, my voice losing its ferocity as a new emotion took its place; despair. The woman I thought I loved was shot dead. She was gone. I cried uncontrollably, my tears blinding my vision. I couldn't let it see me like this. This wasn't the time for grief. It was time for revenge. I just needed to get out of this stupid cage. "LET ME OUTTA HERE!!!!!!" I shrieked.  
  
The cloaked figure walked slowly towards me. It laughed, causing me to shiver. The laugh wasn't a human laugh. It didn't sound at all like it came from a man or a woman or even a beast. The creature continued to laugh as it pulled off the cloak. What?! The figure was... Areth? The star player of the Bevelle Jowiles killed my Lenne? It explained the smirk from before. That... that... "SON OF A BITCH!!!" I barked, throwing myself against the bars of the cage. "I'll KILL YOU!!!" I screamed, my voice cracking from so much abuse. He just gazed at me with a hideous grin. He shook his head and waved a finger at me, mocking me. Slowly, he began to walk towards me again. When he reached me, I moved my arms out through the bars of the cage and grabbed his neck. I squeezed hard. This jackass was going to suffer for what he did. I didn't care if it would mean I'd be trapped in this cage. I wanted him dead. "How could you?" I grumbled, my sobbing throwing off my anger. He smiled at me, a smile I'd never forget. I grasped his neck harder, having a hard time snapping it. I knew I wasn't stopping myself, but his neck wasn't cracking. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my gut. Did he kick me? No. This pain was more of an incision. I looked down at my waist. He stabbed me with his rifle.  
  
I winced as he began to pull the blade upward. "I'll... kill... you... FIRST!!!" I growled, squeezing that much more. It still wasn't working. His neck was unbelievably reinforced. "Dammit... DIE!" I breathed, losing my strength as the blade inched its way closer to my heart. He fired. The bullet hit my stomach at such a close range that it tore straight through my body, escaping from my back. I coughed blood into Areth's face. He just stared at me with that grin. Roughly, he shoved me to the ground, back into the murky water I woke up in. I couldn't get up again. My strength was exhausted. I failed. Lenne couldn't be avenged. I lost my life in trying to get her justice.  
  
I looked up at Areth. My vision was beginning to cloud, but I could still make out a relatively clear picture of him. He aimed his weapon at me again, this time pointing it higher on my body. He was going to shoot me straight in my face. I tried to close my eyes, but for some reason, they remained open. I saw him glare at me, still baring that sadistic grin that he hadn't removed since taking off that cloak. I saw the gun's barrel staring at me in the eye. I saw the bullet leave that barrel almost as soon as I heard the blast when he pulled the trigger. I saw that bullet coming towards me, laughing at me and the pain and fear that I was experiencing. The bullet got within a hair's distance and... 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Prelude to Destruction  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I woke with a start. It was only a dream? That whole time and it was just a dream? Why did I have such a nightmare? Something wasn't adding up. I was peaceful until I fell asleep. What was happening? Would this dream become reality? No. I wouldn't allow that. Slowly, I moved my cold, sweat-covered body back down onto the couch. Wait! Lenne! I quickly pulled myself back up to check up on her.  
  
When I got there, she was still sound asleep. I was overjoyed. She wasn't hurt. My dream was just a dream. She wasn't gone. She's safely resting in her own bed. I slumped down to the ground on one of her walls. This can't keep up in my head. I couldn't let one dream mess me up forever. Lenne was fine, perfectly fine. I needn't worry about her.  
  
I went back downstairs to try and get a little more rest. It took me forever to get into a comfortable enough position to fall asleep. I had to make sure not to sleep on my back, seeing how that was how I saw myself die. I couldn't sleep face down because that was how that dream started. Sleeping on my left or right wasn't working out because I kept seeing Lenne's lifeless body floating in that filthy water. I finally got into a semi-right facing, semi-back position that worked out, but just as my mind began to shut down again, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She was awake. A new day was upon us.  
  
"Good morning." Lenne voiced, rubbing my left arm rather seductively. "Hey there." I replied incredibly groggily. I must have sounded like I just had a hang over. I hate nightmares. "What's the matter?" She asked, looking concerned. I guess she knew something happened to me. "I'd rather not say." I answered her, knowing full well that this response would just make her get more flustered. "Well, if you don't feel like telling me, maybe you'd feel more comfortable discussing it with one of your blitz friends." She suggested. "You're probably right. I should talk to somebody." This was a good idea. "But, what are you gonna be doing today? I really don't want you to go through yesterday again." I asked her, recalling the moment she fainted in my arms. "You never know. I might even get my first assignment. Yu Yevon did see much potential in me." She responded, smiling. She'd be fighting fiends? By herself? I couldn't leave her like this. "Do you have my telcom number?" I wondered even though I knew I had given her that number already. "Of course. You gave me your number, remember?" She told me. "That's right. I was just making sure. If anything goes wrong, give me a call right away." Perhaps I was thinking too much into this. I've seen summoners before. They can handle themselves rather well. Besides, Yu Yevon did tell me that it was just due to her being a novice that she lost consciousness like that. "I'll talk to Rothel about it." I reiterated, specifying whom I'd be speaking with. That put a smile on her face. "Good. It isn't healthy to bottle up your feelings. One day, that bottle will explode." She spoke philosophically, waving her arms around in an attempt to show me my exploding self. "If that was true, I'd be a big smear on the walls and floor by now." I replied, remembering my childhood anger at the world.  
  
Before I became a blitz champion, before I became such a star and had the spotlight on me, before I was the "next Jecht," I used to be an outcast. People, my peers, disliked me for some reason or another and I hated that. It was as if the fact that I acted differently as opposed to other guys made me some sort of monster. I didn't talk loudly about my genitals or flirt with the girls to the degree that they did. I liked to think to myself and maybe think about where my life was headed. That apparently caused my early alienation. Of course, once I showed this city my blitzball talents, that all disappeared and I became the most popular guy around. That's when I started calling myself Tidus. I didn't want them to know me. They didn't care for Shuyin, the deviant. They only cared about Tidus, the star of the Zanarkand Abes, and that's what they'd get. But, enough about me...  
  
"I'll see ya later." I said to Lenne, gazing into her hazel eyes before turning to leave. "Thank you... for bringing me home. I appreciate it greatly." She spoke to my back. I smiled and continued on my way out the door. "Your very welcome..." I whispered back.  
  
"Hey, man!" Rothel exclaimed. "Long time no speak. You've always been busy as of late. What's goin' on wit ya? I heard rumors that you were seein' a summoner chick. Not to mention, you still haven't said a word about that thing wit Lenne. Did you call her?" "The rumors are true. I'm seeing a summoner. Where did you hear that, though?" I answered and then asked. "This friend of mine, Firde, is dating a summoner also, and she told him that the great Tidus was hooked up with one of the new summoners." Rothel replied. "I suppose this girl didn't tell him who this newbie summoner was?" I asked. "Nope. I guess I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth." He said. "Well, I called Lenne. She's really great... but that's not what I wanted to talk about." I responded, changing the subject. My ploy worked as he asked, "Wait. So, your goin' out wit a summoner and the hottest songstress in all this town has ever seen? Damn, you lucky." "Yea, but anyway, I wanted to tell you about this dream I had." I tried to get back to my original reason for being there. "Hey, Tidus!" Another one of my teammates came up from behind Rothel. "Hi, Vena." I said, slightly annoyed at the interruption the girl had created. "So, you was saying." Rothel egged me to continue. "Saying what? What were you two talking about?" Vena interjected. "I had this freaky dream yesterday." I began, no longer caring that this conversation was now between the three of us when I'd only planned to tell Rothel. "I was stuck in this cage that was in some water. This guy in a black cape and hood shot... this girl and then he shot me twice." I really didn't want to get into specifics on the identities of the two people in my dream. "Did poor Tidus wet his pants?" I heard a third voice coming from behind me. I turned to see another Abe, Kion. "No. I didn't wet my pants. I'm trying to be serious here." I grumbled at him. "Dude, sorry man. Didn't know. Thought you mighta just been kiddin'." He muttered, obviously stoned. "Anyway, as I was saying, the guy in the cloak shot me once in my chest and once... in... my... head." I slowed as I finished, noticing how Rothel was staring at me; his mouth gaped wide open. "Wow. I heard that if you die in a dream, you die for real, but you survived." He wowed. "No. I didn't actually see the bullet hit my head. I saw it just about to hit my head and I woke up. That's beside the point, though. What do ya think this could mean?" I asked. Kion answered, "Dude, that is totally wacked out man. Wanna know what I think, though? I think that you and that girl need to watch out. I heard that dreams were like premonitions of like reality, ya know. Like if you saw yourself get shot, you will get shot sooner or later. I'd be careful, dude." When he finished, he collapsed on the floor, drooling on Vena's shoe. "Ill, disgusting." She squealed before adding, "You know Tidus, I heard that same thing that Kion was talking about. It kinda means that you in the cage means that sometime in the future, you're going to commit a crime and that girl might try to save you and a guard will kill her. You probably say something that provokes the guard to kill you, too." "Wow. That's comforting. I get to know that I become a criminal in my future." I sarcastically answered. "No, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I was just saying that maybe you get arrested for some reason or another and the girl tries to break you out. I never said that you were arrested for committing a real crime. You would never do that." She tried to appease. "That's comforting. I get arrested for nothing. Ugh. I really hope that's not the case." I responded, very much stressed. "Buddy, I wouldn't worry too much. I never cared too much about my dreaming. It happens. I mean I've dreamt that the blitz stadium blew up and I died. I mean who cares. These things don't come true. That's why they dreams." Rothel offered. I decided that I liked his answer. "I think you're right, Rothel. A dream's just a dream. No harm can come from it. I guess I was just stressed out." I said to the two. "Well, I gotta be headin' out, so unless you got anymore dreams you wanna share wit me, ciao." Rothel said smoothly. "Yea, I'll see ya later, too, Tidus." Vena waved, moving towards the exit while taking her hover-glyph keys out of her purse. I decided that there wasn't anything left to say, so I chose to leave, as well. Not like if I had stayed, Kion would suddenly wake up and have something important to say.  
  
I left the stadium and started for home, thinking to myself about both the possibilities I'd been handed about my dream. On the way, though, I felt a sudden brush of cold and saw him, Takuma. "Are you prepared for your next lesson?" He asked. "What? Right now? Are you kidding me? We can't..." I started to say, completely bewildered by his abrupt entrance and statement. "Yes." He replied monotonously. Just then, he unsheathed his sword and swung it at my head. I, in turn, pulled out the practice sword he'd given me and blocked the assault. My teacher quickly pushed off of my block, swung around the opposite way, and swiped at my feet. I fell to the ground with a loud thud. As soon as I picked myself up, his sword was pressed to my throat. "Now is the time your true strength shall be revealed. Show me your power." He grinned. I guessed he was expecting me not to just stand there. Fine. I performed a backward somersault, Takuma's blade sliding down my chest just far enough from my skin so that it didn't cut. When my feet touched his sword, I tightened them on it, hurling it into the air as I kept moving back. When I finished the somersault, the sword fell right into my hand. Now, I possessed two weapons. "Very well done." Takuma applauded. As he said this, I began to wonder just how I was able to hold the sword of a dead guy. It should be all ghostly, too, right? Just when my thought ended, that practice sword I originally had exploded into blue-colored pyreflies. The other sword, the one I had just acquired, started to glow a yellow light. The blue pyreflies of my other sword consumed the other and the light shattered around the sword. It glistened from a silvery luster it had obtained while encased in its cocoon of light. "It is yours, now. As long as you wield this blade, you shall never breathe failure." He claimed. I just got a magical sword that made me invincible. Did I believe that? No. "However, you must never ever forget where your true strength lies... your heart." He followed. I thought I was trapped in some sappy hero movie. I wasn't some comic book, "up, up, and away," tights-wearing loser. I was just a guy with a cool looking new weapon. "Uh... okay?" I replied, unable to hide my sarcasm and skepticism. "Do not take your power lightly. If you should lose your way, forever will you be haunted by darkness." He warned. Okay. So that means if I'm lost, I'll be in the dark... Yea, makes perfect sense. "Sure. I'll make sure to bring a map." I joked. This guy was insane! He gave me a sword that could glow. It was like he thought he had given me the key to the universe or something. Sheesh, talk about exaggerations. "I fear your future." Takuma finished, a grim expression on his face. Then, he vanished.  
  
I shuddered. What did he mean by that? Did he know what my dream meant? Was Vena correct? Did I have to keep a look out on the actions Lenne and I performed? Ring  
  
"Hello?" I answered my telcom. "Shuyin! Hurry up and get to Macalania! I need you!" Lenne's voice screamed through the tiny, plastic device. Click She hung up... or was forced to. I quickly sheathed my new blade in the sheath that had appeared at my side, hooked onto my belt. "I'm coming Lenne." I thought.  
  
"Lenne?!" I shouted into the forest. It had taken me an hour to run back to my house and drive my hover-glyph to Macalania. I worried the whole time up to then that I'd be too late. Takuma's last statement carved itself on my mind. "Lenne!!" I screamed, desperately hoping for an answer. A moment later, my tension was slightly eased. "Shuyin! Help me!" Lenne shrieked, running in my direction, accompanied by an injured Aeon and... a huge black wolf thing that I could only assume was a fiend. I unsheathed my "invincible" weapon. "Lenne! Get behind me!" I shouted. The wolf ran at me and I swiped its jaw. It fell back, howling in pain. I felt my adrenaline pumping and charged it, sword held in front of my face. The wolf leaped and I held out the saber, the length of it pointing to the black creature that tried to pounce me. When it landed, I fell on my back, landing harshly on the grass. However, the fiend had landed with its neck on the tip of my blade. The weight of the beast's fall impaled it on my sword and it cried in pain, dispersing into pyreflies. From those pyreflies arose a man holding a torch. He smiled at me before walking over to Lenne.  
  
I watched on in amazement, as he became pyreflies once more, surrounding my love in a cloak of rainbow-colored light. Her body began to float as she absorbed each pyrefly right into her heart. Her eyes were closed and her hands were out to her sides, looking perfectly along with her hair that was flowing freely. As the last pyrefly entered her form, she descended back to the ground, landing softly, gracefully. "I think I just received my second summon." She quietly whispered.  
  
"That's how you bond? Wow..." I stared at her in wonder of what it must have felt like to have pyreflies enter your body. "What did it feel like?" I asked, my eye still showing my astonishment at the sight I had just beheld. "What does what feel like?" She asked, not realizing that I had never seen this before. "Th...the thing with the pyreflies." I stuttered, motioning my arms like an idiot in an attempt to show her what I saw. "It... it feels... strange." She couldn't find the right words, "It makes you feel cold on the inside, but your skin seems to be on fire." I gave her a puzzled look. I hadn't a single clue as to what she meant. "It feels a little like that first time you kissed me... except the other way around..." She blushed as she finished. It was clear to me now. When I kissed her that day after her "private concert," I felt like my internal organs were burning up yet my skin was cold as steel. I guess it was nerves. In any case, that was enough to tell me what she had felt when she got this latest summon. I got up, walked over to her, and hugged her. She put her hands onto my chest and the two of us just remained like that for a while. It was the only time I can remember truly being at peace. Whenever I was with her, I could truly forget my problems.  
  
A little while after, I heard someone speak. "Well done. So, I see little miss popstar has finally received the power of a flame fayth." Lenne frowned at the voice coming from a distance behind me. I turned to face a woman about Lenne's age. She wore a white shirt that curled around her neck and had no back. The sleeves were rather large and there was some kind of silky sheet thing (I know clothes like the back of my hand, don't I.) that wrapped around the girl's waist, covering up the lower half of her shirt and the upper part of her purple dress. Underneath the dress, you could tell she was wearing boots. "I've already gotten enough fayth in me to summon most of the Aeons. I have Valefor like all the beginners, of course, Ixion, Ifrit, and even Shiva. All I need now are Bahamut and Odin and you can just call me high summoner Trista." The woman said, as I thought about how anyone could be more conceited. Lenne just hung her head, unsuccessfully hiding her anger. "Aw, did I make the little songbird mad? I'm sooooooo sorry." The rival summoner mocked. Her voice was starting to piss me off. "Look, you piece of shit. Lenne just started this yesterday so ya know what? BACK OFF! And if you don't, I wouldn't be surprised if she kicks your ass right now. And if she doesn't, I'm afraid she'd lose her chance. You understand?" I growled, balling up my fists. "Ooh, I'm sooooooooo scared. Can you just see me shivering in my boots?" She sneered, unimpressed by my outburst. "Shu... Tidus... don't..." Lenne whispered to me, trying to get me to back off. "So, Tidus, huh? The big time blitzer is dating this bit of airhead trash? I wouldn't know what you see in this prissy little spoiled bitch." She laughed, staring at Lenne with her green eyes. I couldn't take anymore. I stomped over to Trista and lifted her off the ground by the neck. "Don't you EVER call her that again! You call her by her name! Understand? Otherwise, you won't be calling anyone anything ever again!" I roared, glaring at the bitch with my blue eyes. The calm lake had just witnessed its first tidal wave.  
  
"You think I'm scared?" The woman sneered, beginning to show signs of suffocation. "I think fear would be appropriate since I could snap your neck right now." I snarled, the once peaceful blue in my eyes becoming a cold blue of ice. "Fine. I give. Sorry, Lenne." She said. Even choking out those words didn't hide the tone she used in saying her name. I put her down. It wasn't worth it. She'd get hers sooner or later. The woman turned and walked away with her head held high. I didn't care.  
  
I turned back to Lenne. "Sorry about that." I apologized. "You didn't have to choke her like that." She stated, looking into my eyes with concern. They had turned back into the calm blue ponds of old. "I just couldn't contain my anger. I don't want people mistreating you like that." I said, my voice showing my hurt from what Trista had said about Lenne. "I know you care about me, but I can stick up for myself." She responded with a small air of confidence. "I'll always fight for you." I responded, "even if you can defend yourself." She smiled at me. Afterwards, we walked back to my hover-glyph and I took her home.  
  
When we got to her house, she got out of the hover and grabbed me by the arm to get me out of it. "Want to see me summon?" She asked enthusiastically. "Sure!" I replied, wanting to know what it looked like. She walked away from me and stopped in the middle of her front yard. She closed her eyes and spun around, holding her hand up above her head. It didn't look at all different from a simple dance until, light started to shine around her, creating a circle on the floor. She finished by throwing her arm straight up into the air and standing on her left leg. Pyreflies flew out of the hand she threw up and formed a creature behind her. I stared at the beast in complete awe as Lenne opened her eyes. She turned around to face her new summon and jumped a little at her success. I walked over to her and put my arm around her. "So this is?" I asked her for the name of the Aeon. "This is an Ifrit. It wields fire. It can use Fire, Fira, and Firaga, and it has a special attack called Hell Fire." She recited her guidebook. "Wow..." I was still shocked at the blazing creature standing before me. The beast looked like an orange and blue covered werewolf with horns. My Lenne had created that.  
  
"Let me show you what it can do!" Lenne was really excited about getting her second Aeon. "Okay." I was also eager to see what this Aeon could do. I've seen the bird thing, but this guy was totally new for me. "Ifrit! Use your Fira spell!" Lenne commanded the giant creature. It roared and enveloped a tree in flames. My mouth hung as I watched in horror and excitement as Ifrit scorched that tree. I guess Lenne got a little too frightened by it because she tensed up in my embrace and recalled the summoned beast. "That was so cool." I stammered, still staring at the tree. "I'd better call Valefor to blow it out." She said, performing her summoning dance again. This time, the creature that formed behind her was the bird thing that I had seen before. "Valefor, use your Sonic Wings! Blow the fire out!" She yelled at the bird. It complied as it began flapping its wings, causing the tree to splinter into lots of flaming pieces of timber. "Uh, Lenne? I think that attack might have been the wrong choice." I stated the obvious. Lenne quickly told the Aeon to use its Blizzard attack, which did the trick, as icicles began to rain down in front of us. The tree was destroyed, but at least it didn't burn anything else. "I guess I need more practice." Lenne whispered as she recalled her summon.  
  
I just looked at her. "What?" She asked. I love you. Why couldn't I say it? "Uh, you'll turn out to be a great summoner. Just you wait and see." I said, replacing what I wanted to say. "It's getting late. You should probably get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Lenne." I said, beginning to get back into my hover-glyph. "Tomorrow then. Bye." Her voice echoed in my mind as I pulled away from her house to go back home. Why couldn't I tell her that I love her? Was it because my heart wasn't sure? No. I was sure... wasn't I? I had to be. I just needed the right moment to tell her. 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Lights, Cameras, Summon!  
  
A month had passed since my first viewing of an Aeon's power. At this point in time, Lenne had become much stronger, obtaining a few more Aeons to add to her arsenal. Let me think. She still had Valefor and Ifrit, but now there was Ixion, Shiva, Odin, Kinok, Razgoth, and the greatest Aeon, in my opinion, Bahamut. Ixion was this horse-headed guy with the power of electricity. Odin had the same kind of power, but it was much more magnified. Shiva was this blue-skinned girl with blue eyes and long blue hair. Her element should be obvious; it's ice. Kinok was this lizard thing that walked on all fours. It didn't really look too intimidating, but looks don't matter; this lizard could use some serious earth-based attacks. Razgoth was a half-bat half-human creature. Can you say Dracula? This guy kinda scared me a bit. See, the first time Lenne summoned it, the thing hypnotized her and looked like it was gonna take a little drink, so I killed it. After that, Lenne never summoned it again. Anyway, Bahamut is the best out of all of them. She got it from a fayth that looked like a hooded girl so, at the time, I thought it would be some kind of pixie- looking Aeon. Boy was I wrong. The Aeon, Bahamut, was a gigantic dragon/bird thing and it was awesome. It had these eagle-like wings and it's head looked so cool. Not only that, but it had this attack called Mega Flare that still sends a shiver down my spine when I see it. It was a brutal strike. The first time I saw it, it used it on these fiends that Lenne and I were fighting and those guys didn't stand a chance. Once the blast hit, they were gone. I mean gone as in vanished, just like that. I'd never want to have to fight that.  
  
At the time, I noticed that the theme to Lenne's songs had undergone a change. They no longer focused on finding love, believing in yourself, and never giving up on your dreams. Instead, they seemed to be focused on her new addition to life, her summoning abilities. For instance, her latest song was "Aeons of Light." Her developing album contained about eight summoner-related songs. The girl's got Aeons on the brain. Then again, I guess I couldn't blame her. I mean, first of all, Aeons and the summoner's abilities were really nice. Secondly, I myself was occupying my time slaying lots of fiends for practice. I loved my sword. It was such a pretty sword. Okay, that was disturbing.  
  
Anyway, as I was saying, another month elapsed and I was with Lenne on the battlefield. What was the opponent? It was this really big crab thing with wings. With all the training I'd gone through, my swordplay could have cut it down to size, easily. However, I decided to let Lenne take care of the fiend instead. I watched as she twirled around as always when summoning. The creature she called for was the one I liked the most, Bahamut. With a great roar, the Aeon emerged and used the spell Firaga on the fiend, immersing it in flames. That didn't affect the water-based creature too much, though, as it swung its claw at the mighty dragon. Of course, Bahamut didn't feel a thing, growling at the fiend's pitiful attempt. "Unleash your Mega Flare, Bahamut!" Lenne commanded. I watched, as I always, as the massive beast shot the crab with its most powerful attack, vaporizing it completely. "Still sends shivers down my spine every time." I voiced, allowing the sound to drift, as my eyes stared at the space where that crab had been. "I know what you mean." Lenne agreed, also letting her voice drift. Bahamut was definitely an awe-inspiring creature. Lenne called it back and the dragon obeyed, vanishing into nothingness once again.  
  
The two of us began to stroll around idly, eventually reaching the gates of Guadosalam, home of the Guado... and their Guado Glories blitz team. Lenne pranced over to the Moonflow and I decided to follow. She looked at the crystal waters and I pondered to myself what she was thinking. "This place feels so nice, doesn't it?" She asked, closing her eyes to take in the atmosphere. "Yea... Anywhere with you is nice to me, though." I answered quietly, smacking myself mentally at the pitiful attempt to imply the words "I love you." I still couldn't say it. Why? Obviously, I loved her. Why couldn't I just simply say these three little words? "You are such a flirt." Lenne giggled, bringing my attention back to her. "I'm serious. Even if we were in that cave on Mushroom Rock Road, I'd still feel great if you were there with me." I honestly claimed, knowing full well that it had to be true. As long as the heart is satisfied, the body is satisfied. "You're just too good to be true." She joked, looking back at the Moonflow.  
  
We gazed at the water for such a long time that I felt really stupid to have not thought of it. "Lenne! I never showed you how to play blitz! Let me teach you!" I yelled, full of enthusiasm. "What? Me? I can't play blitzball." She stuttered, extremely nervous and lacking in self- confidence. "Aw, c'mon, you showed me how to sing and play the organ when I doubted myself. Let's go back to Zanarkand stadium and I'll teach you."I egged, not letting my beautiful brunette companion back down. "Ugh... Okay... You talked me into it. I'll try playing blitz, but you have to go easy on me!" She said, giving in, with a stipulation, "I've seen how rough you get in that pool." I knew she was scared. I was horrified when Lenne wanted to teach me to sing. However, I didn't think she would think I was going to go pro-style on her in her very first practice. "No problem. I'll go easy on ya. Don't worry about it. I wouldn't dare hurt you. I..." Dammit, I still couldn't say it. I wanted to kick myself right there, but Lenne didn't seem to notice my abrupt finish so I let it go.  
  
We started out for home, but she stopped when we reached the cave I spoke about earlier. "What? You want to test out my claims?" I asked, jokingly. "No, it's not that. It's just..." She started to say. Her words were interrupted by a shriek that erupted from the cave. "What was that?" I asked, looking to Lenne with a slight bit of fear. "It's that something that I felt before. C'mon, Shuyin, let's go see what it is." She said, rushing off toward that hole in the mountain. "Hey! Wait up!" I yelled, running after her.  
  
When we were inside, the place was very dimly lit. "Fira." Lenne exclaimed, trying to be as quiet as possible. A fireball floated above her palm and she pushed it up a little, letting it take on a life of it's own. The ball of flame floated around us as we searched the area, hearing a scream now and again. "I'm not liking this." Lenne whispered, very frightened. "You and me both." I whispered back, unsheathing my sword. Something told me I'd be needing it. We heard one final scream and a body came crashing into me. I fell to the stone floor, hard. "Agh." I managed to voice, just before I crashed. While moving the dead body, I heard Lenne gasp. "What?" I said, pushing away the corpse. Then, I saw it. Well, not an it. It was a man. He was glowing, like my sword had, with a yellow light. "How dare you! All of you have caused my damnation!" The guy accused, pointing at me, the corpse, and Lenne. He walked over slowly, Lenne completely petrified. "Stay away from her!" I yelled, slashing at him with my sword. He didn't seem to care too much and smacked me across the face. I went flying. This guy was strong. "Y-you're an u-u-uns-s-sent." Lenne stammered, eyes wide in fear as the unsent began to approach her. "Lenne!" I screamed, regaining the ghost's attention. I lunged at him, sword held above me. I landed in front of him; the saber had just cut his body in half. I looked up and saw him glare at me before shrieking in pain and losing his footing. What was it about the unsent? Right. They needed to be sent and Lenne could do it. "Lenne! Send him!" I yelled, turning my head to her. She nodded and began to perform the sending. The beginning of it looked like a summoning, with her spinning around, but then she did this kicking thing and it looked really weird. I wondered how that could possible inspire a dead guy to be a good dead guy and go to the Farplane. If anything, that dumb dance would make me want to stay and put the poor summoner out of her misery. In any case, it was working. I saw pyreflies flying out of the ghost as he smiled at my Lenne. I wondered what he was thinking as he began to disappear. I guess one day I'd find out for myself. The unsent vanished completely and I looked over at the angel who had given him peace. She looked a little fatigued. "Lenne, are you alright?" I asked, concerned. "I'm fine. It just takes a lot out of you to be a summoner." She said, smiling. "Hehe, guess you're pretty exhausted by now. I mean taking out fiends, walking around, and then having to send someone isn't exactly relaxing. C'mon, let's get you home." I said. "But what about that blitzball thing? Weren't you going to teach me?" She asked, still thinking about me instead of herself. "Don't worry about it. We can always do that tomorrow." I replied, giving her a smile. "Okay." She said, wiping some sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm.  
  
We slowly walked out of the cave and headed home. As we walked, we went past Bevelle and I saw him again. It was Areth and he saw me, too. That dream still flashed in my mind. He killed her and then me. I didn't know if I could ever look at him without thinking about that again. He waved at us and, doing the right thing, I waved back. Lenne stared a little. I guess she forgot who he was. "It's Areth... from the Jowiles." I reminded her. "Oh!" She said, a little loudly. She blushed and waved at him also. Then, I noticed something. Right as we finished waving at him, another Jowile approached him and glared at us. Areth covered his mouth and spoke to the other player, looking at us every now and then while talking. The other player smirked, patted Areth's shoulder, and walked off. I saw the look again. Areth made a hideous grin and turned away from us, walking back into Bevelle's land. "I don't like him." Lenne whispered, "Something about him just doesn't sit well with me." "Tell me about it. I wonder what's going on. I don't like that look he gave us. What could it mean? I saw that look back with the championship game. After we won, he and his team looked at me funny. I don't like this." I said, an evidently concerned look plastered to my face. That's when I noticed something else. All of the people standing around us were whispering and being very strange. It was like there was some kind of secret around and the two of us were the last to know. I wondered what it could have been. I didn't like it, not a single bit. Something wasn't right and it made me uneasy. "Let's go home." I said to Lenne, not removing my eyes from the people for a second. "Yea. Let's get away from here." She responded, obviously scared and confused.  
  
We passed Bevelle's entrance and made our way back home. Zanarkand's people looked completely normal, which calmed my nerves, but the guards at the front gates seemed flustered about something or another and that wasn't good. They were worried about something. Oh well. Whatever it was wasn't my concern. It was the concern of Zanarkand's leader, Yu Yevon. Judging by looks, I thought that he was more than capable of handling whatever was wrong with Bevelle. Walking along, we passed a billboard on the side of a building. My father was on that billboard. "Isn't that..." Lenne started to say. "Yes. That's Jecht, my father." I replied, glaring at the advertisement. Wasn't it about time people stopped thinking about that guy? I mean it had been nearly a decade and people still couldn't let go. What's wrong with them? The man's dead. Live with it. Suddenly, I got a little mischievous and stuck my middle finger at it. "Shuyin!" Lenne scolded lightly, slapping my arm. I grinned at her and she rolled her eyes playfully. We continued on, Lenne dragging my heavier carcass back to her house. "C'mon, Shuyin. Stop messing around." She said, frowning cutely. "But I don't wanna go to bed yet." I whined, pretending to be a spoiled kid. "Oh, knock it off." She pouted. "Okay, I'll be good." I said, hanging my head low as if sorry for being such a spoiled brat. We entered her house and she plopped me down on her couch. "If this is how you treat all your guests, I think I'm gonna want a refund!" I joked, grinning like an idiot. "Cut that out." She said, swiping her hand across my chest a few times, lightly. She walked over to the kitchen and asked if I wanted to eat anything. I didn't really feel hungry, but thinking that she might be and thinking that she wouldn't eat unless I did, I said yes.  
  
She rushed back over with some grub... well, I guess you can't really call what she brought grub. "Wow, did you cook all this?" I asked, staring in awe at this banquet that was before me. She made Shark Fin Soup, Deep Roasted Duck, and finally a couple of Green Tea Eggs. "You know me. Cooking is one of my kinky little hobbies." She cutely replied. "You have excellent taste in hobbies." I stated, still staring hungrily at the food. She calmly took a bowl and filled it with soup. I turned to her and nearly made her drop it when I pushed my lips onto hers. "A 'thank you' would have sufficed." She jested, pushing me back a little. "Thank you!" I squealed, blindly grabbing at the duck. I found a knife and began chopping it up, cutting neat slices despite my haste. I grabbed one of those Moo Shoo wraps and packed it full of meat, added some sauce, put some leak in it, and sealed it up before taking a big bite. "Mmmmhu hmmmm..." I mumbled, my face full of food. Lenne couldn't help but giggle. I must have looked like I hadn't eaten in years.  
  
I knew she could cook. However, I never tried her cooking for myself until then. For almost a half a year, the two of us had either gone out to eat or totally forgotten to... due to certain... um, distractions.  
  
After I was done, the duck was a shadow of its former self, literally. All that was left was the skeleton, and not in good shape, either, because I made sure to get as much meat out of it as possible. The soup had vanished, but not by evaporation. Those eggs were somewhere in my digestive tract. "I had no idea you could eat so much!" Lenne gasped, completely bewildered by the aftermath of the meal. "Yup, I must have a black hole in here." I joked, pointing at my stomach. "I guess so." She returned, touching my gut.  
  
My hormones got a nice surge at that point. Lenne must have been getting a serious dose of male pheromones, too, because she threw herself on top of me. Our lips joined as we thinned out the air between our bodies. I felt her tongue enter my mouth and all of my senses melted away into nothingness. My whole world became her and everything else in that world no longer was in being. We moved to the rhythm of the music that played in our minds and our hearts. Everything felt so perfect and...  
  
That's when I belched... Lenne fell to the ground and laughed hysterically. I felt my face become bright red at my embarrassment. "Excuse... me..." I stammered, blushing more and more with each hysteric tear that fell from my love's eyes. "I'm... so... rry..." Lenne tried to say, laughing with each syllable, "I... just... can't... help... it..." I wasn't sure how I did it, but I blushed even more.  
  
"You know, I think I'm actually a little glad that you belched." Lenne admitted. "Why?" I asked obliviously. "Well, I'm a little scared. I'm still a virgin." She said, blushing. "Tell me about it. You'd think I'd have done it a million times, but I'm just as clueless as you." I sighed, thinking about what we were about to do. "You're a virgin? Mister star blitzer for the Zanarkand Abes?" She jeered, not believing me. I never talked to her about this yet, I realized. "I flirt a lot, but that doesn't mean I take these girls home with me." I said, "Besides, that would mean I'd have to tell them who I really am and that would give them something to blackmail me with." "So you're as much a virgin as I am." She wowed, not fully believing the words that just came out of her mouth. "Yea, actually, the flirting is a defense mechanism against that. See, if I flirt with one girl, the rest will think I will eventually do something with her. That way, no one realizes that I'm really all talk. I purposely show people what I think they would expect to see. In a way, I've made Tidus into a real person." I explained, figuring out for myself that I had indeed created two versions of one person, complete with two separate names. Tidus would be what anyone I didn't want to get too close to saw. Lenne and others like her would actually know the REAL me. "So, you want people to think you like to sleep around?" Lenne interjected my thoughts. "Well, I figure it's what they want to see so that's what they get. I don't care about their personal feeling about me." I replied. "I think that's a little lonely." She said, concern floating in her voice. "Don't worry about me. I've got enough to keep me optimistic about my future." I said, looking into her eyes. I couldn't help it. Those eyes just hypnotized me. If I looked into them, it would take a great effort to make me look away. "At least you've told the Abes who you are, right? Or if you haven't, I'm sure your father did." She thought aloud, getting a smile on her face. "Actually, I never told them I was Shuyin. I made them think I was Tidus, as well, because I didn't know if I could trust them not to blow my cover with the rest of Zanarkand. Who knows? They might have just made a promotional event and called out Shuyin instead of Tidus to wow the crowd. I'd be revealed and I didn't want that." I replied, "Plus, my dad was so conceited, all he ever talked about was himself. Until the day he retired, no one knew he had a family." I began to laugh. "I feel a little sorry for you." Lenne solemnly stated, a tear streaming down her face. I put my finger on her face and wiped the tear away. "Look, I chose this life. I made that decision a long time ago. I'm fine with that decision. It means that out of everyone who knows me, you are the only one who 'knows' me." I stated, giving a reassuring smile. Lenne smiled back weakly and decided to drop the subject. "Well, now that we thought about 'doing something,' perhaps we could?" She asked, not demonstrating much determination.  
  
I thought about it. Did I really want to have this happen at this point? I mean I love her, but did I want to proclaim my love like that? I wasn't sure if it was the right decision to be making. "Are you sure you want this?" I asked. Lenne thought for a moment. She took a deep breath and smiled, saying, "Yes. I'm sure."  
  
It was settled. No reason to think about it anymore. We were in love. What was the harm? "I guess..." I started to say. Lenne quieted me by putting her finger over my lips. She proceeded to kiss me. We were like that for what seemed like hours. I still can't remember how long it lasted. However, there was only one break, which we used to get onto her couch. The cold leather rubbed across my skin and I moved to her movements. I never truly kissed anyone before let alone for that long. I wasn't even thinking. The feelings I got from being with her shut my mind off. I stopped all thought. I allowed my heart to decide my actions. Takuma did say it was my true strength, right? My love chose the various motions and I was just enjoying the ride. That music came back. My body and hers were swept up by each note. My hands rubbed her back as she played with my hair. I was in heaven. Life was bliss. I couldn't ask for anymore.  
  
I felt a little tired and remembered how we had spent the day. Traveling across Spira wasn't exactly an effortless little walk to the mall. We had been walking for miles the entire day. I was exhausted. She wore out even faster than I did. Halfway through one of our kisses, she fell asleep. I didn't last long after. I was just too sleepy to even get her to her bed... 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Lenne, the blitzer?  
  
When I woke up, Lenne was still collapsed over me, her mouth near mine and her hands on my chest, sleeping peacefully. Last night, though we didn't manage to stay awake long enough to do anything other than kiss, was the best night of my life. My beautiful songstress. My wonderful summoner. How much I love you. I stroked her hair gently, each strand of that velvet, that silk, moving by my touch. It was so soft. She was so soft. She was so delicate. "Mmm..." She moaned, still fast asleep. "Shh..." I whispered gently, carefully pulling her closer. I was in luck as she did not awaken. "I love you." I quietly whispered, still unable to tell her while she was conscious. She smiled a bit and I wondered if she'd heard me. Impossible... but that thought gave me some comfort.  
  
"Uh..." Lenne arose, "Hi there." She was groggy as she woke up. It was an hour later and I had been awake that entire time, admiring the resting form of my love. "Good morning." I said softly. She pushed herself off me and took in a deep breath to greet the morning. She stretched out her arms and proceeded to pull me onto my feet. I helped out, doing a sit up. Rising to my feet, I yawned a little. Lenne straightened up my collar and I touched her face with both my hands. She looked so beautiful.  
  
"Hey! I almost forgot!" I exclaimed, perking up. "You were gonna try blitzball yesterday, remember?" I asked, looking at her with a fiendish smirk. She groaned, "I thought you would forget." It was evident she really didn't think she could play. "I'm sorry m'lady, I tend not to forget things like that." I curtly replied. She groaned again. "C'mon, don't chicken out." I said, pushing her to her room so she could change into some blitzball worthy clothes. What that meant was that she needed to put away her pretty songstress clothes and break out the sweats... Hehe, girl sweats were designed to look hot, too. That put a nice big grin on my face. I shoved her into her room playfully and shut the door. "Hurry up..." I chimed, skipping back down the stairs.  
  
A few minutes later, Lenne came down in a nice blue and green sweatshirt and pants set. She had a white T underneath and the entire outfit looked great on her. "Let's go!" She exclaimed before gulping. I couldn't help but grin at her. She was just so cute when she was nervous.  
  
We took the scenic route to the stadium. The place was empty. I didn't see Kion or Vena or even Rothel. Not even the rookie, whose name I found was Haru, was there. This was perfect. Then again, it must have been due to the time of day. It was still pretty early. I took Lenne to the locker room and brought her to Vena and Kirin's side. I grabbed some of their spare blitz gear and fitted Lenne. She was a little smaller than those two, but the stuff fit well enough. The two of us walked over to my locker and I got out the only part of my blitz outfit that I didn't always have on me, the ball. I tossed the blitzball to her and she awkwardly caught it, literally giving it a bear hug as if she was afraid of dropping it. I smirked at the thought and locked up the locker. We headed back out, this time to the arena. I told Lenne to take a seat on the ring and I went to get the Sphere Pool running.  
  
I jogged up to the control room and pushed a few buttons, entered the code, and watched the arena light up as the electrically induced water began to form into an orb shape. Lenne just stared at the scene in front of her, completely petrified. She looked so cute. I couldn't stop thinking that. Anyway, I got back down there and hopped onto the ring with Lenne. "Ready?" I asked, eager to get on with the fun. "Um, is it too late to be a scaredy cat?" She pleaded. "Yes, definitely too late. Much too late." I grinned, pulling Lenne into the water with me.  
  
Lenne floated around, taking in all aspects of the Sphere Pool. "You can swim, right?" I laughed, moving around the cool waters swiftly. "Shuyin." She frowned, trying to catch up to me. With a small smirk, I abruptly stopped and allowed Lenne to crash into me. I hugged her and said, "Ya know, that's a good tackle you got there." "Shuyin!" She pouted, slapping my chest playfully. I swam back over to where we impacted and retrieved the ball that she dropped. "Okay. First things first. To score, you need to get this ball into one of those two triangular goal fields. You can throw, kick, punch, butt, or just about anything to get it in." I said, sounding like the coach I had respect for. I shuddered, remembering whom he'd replaced himself with. "My son will be a fine coach. Listen to him carefully. You just might learn something." I recalled him saying before leaving us with that idiot. "Okay." Lenne said shakily, refocusing my attention. "Right. Show me what you got." I answered, giving her the ball. She took it, swam back a little and tried to hurl the thing into the goal. This proved to be very unsuccessful as I saw the ball glide slowly back to me. "Take note: throwing the ball like that is not a wise maneuver." I stated, trying my best not to laugh while sounding like a textbook. I passed the ball back to her. She caught it, thought for a moment and then tried to punch it into the goal. She held out the blitz ball and socked it good. However, as I saw the shot slowly stream into the goal, I noticed that Lenne was holding her wrist. She hurt her hand with that stunt. "Okay, perhaps you should try kicking." I said, swimming to her to examine her fragile wrist, "You're fine." She hadn't injured it. I swam back to retrieve the ball and passed it to her again. "Be a little more careful and know your own limits." I instructed. I didn't really want her to hurt herself. She looked at the ball and thought about what was the best move she could use on it. This time, she chose to get a bit fancy, attempting to use my opening move back in the championship game. She put the ball off to the side, moved to her side and spun, kicking the ball on her return. I was a bit skeptical. She was trying too hard. Boy was I in for a shock. That ball speeded right past my stunned face and into the goal. "Hooray!" She yelled, celebrating in the water. "Wow!" I muttered, clapping slowly from my surprise at her success.  
  
We played around some more, Lenne improving little by little. In fact, she even blocked three of my shots and I wasn't even going easy on her. Of course, after about five or six hours of practice and playing, I guess that was to be expected.  
  
"I think you might be ready for..." I began. "What? What do you think I'm ready for?" She asked nervously. What was wrong? She should have built up enough confidence after all that, right? "...The Jecht Shot..." I finished. Her eyes shot open in horror. "What?!" She sputtered. "You heard me. Here let me show you." I said, grabbing the ball in Lenne's hands. I moved a good distance away, head-butted the ball out of the water, followed it, and started a back flip. On my way back down, I kicked the ball hard and it flew into the goal. I landed, turned, swam to the ball, grabbed it, and swam back to my girlfriend and blitzer in-training. "Your turn." I said, handing over the ball. "Okay..." She softly said, closing her eyes as if to give herself a quick boost of confidence. "You'll do fine." I assured, smiling at her.  
  
I watched on as Lenne put the ball on top of her head. She closed her eyes and didn't move a moment. "You can do it!" I yelled. "Uh!" She shouted, launch herself out of the Sphere Pool. She had strong legs. That was a must for the Jecht Shot. The ball and herself were above the Sphere Pool as I continued to watch. She performed a back flip and hit the ball dead center. Yes! She did it! I watched the ball fly to the goal and hit it right on the money. Lenne landed back in the Sphere Pool and swam to me. "I did it!" She squealed, overjoyed. "Yea, I know. I knew you could." I said, looking at her happily. She had performed the Jecht Shot perfectly on her very first try. Not even I managed that. She was certainly something special. Of course the ball didn't have the same speed as when I performed it, but who cares. This was her first time and she pulled it off. That had to be the Spiran world record for best debut play.  
  
"Do you mind if I try that again?" She asked. There's that confidence. I knew she'd get it sooner or later. "Go right ahead. I'm still gettin' over the first time you did it." I said, getting the ball for her. I passed it to her and she went to perform it again. WHAM! The ball smacked into the goal yet again. She just performed the Jecht Shot twice, successfully, on her first time at blitzball.  
  
We exited the Sphere Pool. "I have to tell you. When I was a little girl up until high school, I was a gymnast." She admitted, "I think that's why I was able to do your move that well." I smiled. "Who cares as long as you did it on your first try? That is good enough for me." I said, looking back into the water.  
  
The two of us made our way back to the locker room after I had put the pool back into storage. I put the blitz ball away and locked up my locker again. Then, we went to return her gear back to the girls' locker room. I heard the shower running, which meant that either Vena or Kirin was there. "Hey, I never introduced you to my friends. I'll do that now. I'm sure one or both of the girls are around." I said. Lenne nodded and smiled, putting her gear on the rack that I had found it from.  
  
Suddenly, a singing Kirin, stark naked, walked out of the shower. Opening her eyes, she screamed in synch with the two of us. I covered and averted my eyes. Lenne blushed, I could tell. "SHUYIN!" She shrieked. "I'm s- sorry!" I stammered, blushing even more than Lenne. "Shuyin? Aren't you gonna introduce me?" Lenne asked, her embarrassment showing through her voice. "Oh, right! Lenne, this is Kirin. I'll just step outside so you two can talk." I said, my eyes still covered. I quickly ran out of there and let Lenne talk to her.  
  
A few minutes later, they both came out, Lenne wearing some new threads, Kirin's clothes. "Sorry." I said, blushing profusely. "It's okay." Kirin said. "Kirin told me that you told her your real name, too." Lenne said, sounding like she wanted an explanation. "Well, you see, Kirin has been a friend of mine since high school. I tell her everything." I said, trying to get at the fact that Kirin was actually more than just a friend to me. "Oh. She's your best friend?" Lenne asked. "Well, Rothel is my best friend." I responded, "Kirin is more like..." "I'm like a sister to him." She interjected. "Oh, that's nice." Lenne said, smiling at me, "And here I thought you were completely alone. I'm glad you had her." "Yea, I guess you're right." I said, putting a hand through my hair. "Hey! If you guys aren't doing anything later, wanna come to my place?" Kirin asked. I looked at Lenne. "That would be great. Would you mind if Shuyin invites the others? I'd want to meet all his friends." Lenne replied. "Well, like Shuyin, I don't really trust the other guys to that extent. Sorry." Kirin answered. "Okay, well it's settled. Me and Lenne will meet you at your house at let's say 5 o'clock?" I suggested. "That's perfect." Kirin said. "Then, we'll see you then." Lenne stated with a smile.  
  
We waved bye to Kirin as she was going into train. I noticed that she ripped off the clothes she had on, again. I wondered why she didn't like clothing. I guessed it was just a quirk. In any case, I had to think up something for me and Lenne to do until 5. "So what do you want to do?" I asked her. "I don't know. I like Kirin. She's very nice. I asked her why she was singing and dancing out of the shower without a towel on. She told me she liked being in the nude. It made her feel free. I wonder." Lenne said, wanting to talk about my friend some more. "Oh, that's why? So I was right. It's a quirk." I said. "Yea. Didn't she ever tell you about that?" She asked. "You have to remember that I never saw her nor any other girl like that before." I told her. "You mean that was the first time you saw a naked woman? Oh, poor baby." She laughed. "Not funny. That really freaked me out. I didn't expect her to just prance out like that. Vena never would." I said, hanging my head and playing with my fingers. Lenne giggled. "You know her this well yet she never told you that little personality quirk of hers. You've never had a broken shower and had to share with her in college?" Lenne asked. What kind of question was that? Did she really want me to have taken a shower with Kirin? "What?! Never! You make it seem like I was married to her. Then, that would be okay. Either that or it was with you, but even then it would be a little awkward." I said, traditional values speaking. I knew all too well that modern society didn't really have too many restrictions for things like that. I was always what my friends called, "a prude." "Well, in my honest opinion, if I really needed a shower, I'd take one with a guy if I knew him well. Like you. I wouldn't mind taking a shower together with you." She stated simply. I was really not comfortable with this conversation anymore so I decided to find ANYTHING that I could change the subject with. "Hey! Look over there! Wild Chocobos!" I said, running at the massive birds. "Hey! Wait for me!" Lenne yelled, running after me.  
  
I chased one of those yellow birds down and hopped onto it, seriously scaring the poor bird to death. It ran like crazy and I struggled to stay on. Lenne calmly approached one and it mounted her onto it. That was a skill I'd have liked to have at that moment. The thing I was on went crazy. Finally, I had no choice but to jump off of it, for fear of giving the poor creature a heart attack. It ran away from me, crying the whole time. I felt a little bad for what I did to the poor thing. Meanwhile, Lenne was calmly riding her Chocobo around the entire field. "Hey!" I screamed, "Can I get a lift here?" "What's the magic word?" She giggled. "Not funny!" I shouted as she picked up some speed. "Hey!" I cried. "Haha!" Lenne smirked, enjoying me run after her. At last she stopped, but I couldn't in time. I smacked right into the bird's big butt and it was off again. "Argh..." I grunted, giving up and lying on the grass. "Hehe..." I heard Lenne laugh as she jogged back, letting her Chocobo roam free again. "Grr..." I playfully growled. Lenne just laughed.  
  
We continued onward. The city's shops and malls were fast approaching and Lenne noticed something that caught her eye. "I'll see you in a little bit okay?" She asked. "Okay, but why? Where are you going?" I responded. "It's a secret. Just meet me here in an hour or two." Lenne said, running off. I shrugged and roamed around. I saw an arcade and couldn't resist taking a peek... an hour-long peek.  
  
"Yes! They have Soul Ripper 2! I'm so gonna kick some ass!" I shouted, hurrying to get some tokens. People stared at me, but not for my outburst. They were just staring because I was Tidus. I was used to it by then. It was unavoidable. I put in my tokens and started up a game, picking my favorite character, Mirth. That character was strong and fast, a perfect combination. I fought against a few opponents, randomly chosen by the computer and got to the final boss in no time. "You are so going down, Belthazor!" I exclaimed, pointing at the screen. The fight started and I dodged most of the guy's attacks, being the cool and calculating fighting game player that I was. "Eat steel!" I yelled at the bits of computer data that formed my opponent. In no time at all, I had beaten the game. I didn't even need a continue. I quickly input the letters 'T' 'D' 'S' for the record name. It was in the top slot. "Yes! The best record!" I grinned. I turned and everybody there wanted an autograph. "Okay, okay! Take it easy! I've only got two hands!" I said, signing one blitz ball after another. I was done about five minutes later, thank goodness. I actually loathed having to give so many signatures. It was tiresome.  
  
Then, this girl walked up to me and said, "I challenge you to a game of DRR. If I win, you take me out. If you win, I'll give you a kiss." DRR, or Dance Revolution Remix, was this dancing game that I had never dared try... that is until now. After all the time I spent with Lenne, songstress extraordinaire, I had no doubt in my mind I'd win. "Sure. You're on!" I said, not a trace of nervousness in my voice.  
  
We got onto the dance pad, one for each of us. We put in our tokens and chose a song. I picked this really nice one from this Carime cartoon show that I liked. We started. At first, it looked like she was gonna win. I had a rough start. However, towards the end of it, I was dancing circles around her. I just let the music flow through me, like Lenne had said. Afterwards, the girl shook my hand. "I didn't know you could dance like that." She said, stunned a little, "Well, a deal's a deal." And with that she gave me a big kiss on the lips that I wasn't prepared for. She didn't seem to mind it, though, so I let her finish, thank me, hug me, and walk away with her friends, giggling like a bunch of imbeciles. I rolled my eyes a little. "I'm sure glad Lenne isn't like that." I whispered to myself.  
  
An hour was up and I had already played through several fighting games like Terren, Dream vs. Square, and one platform game, Zero. Terren and Dream vs. Square was nothing compared to the Soul Ripper series, though. That was a real fighting game. However, when it comes to true games, Square comes up with the best of the best. They mostly made RPG games, though, and those you could only play at home. I had a GameSphere, or otherwise known as, the GSH. Square chiefly made games for that system, which I was eternally grateful. Anyway, although that is my favorite company, Soul Rippers was my favorite fighting game and, just the same, Zero was my favorite platform game.  
  
"Hey, Shu... uh, Tidus..." Lenne said, coming back to me when I reached the meeting location. Her hands were behind her back, holding some kind of bag. She'd bought something. "What's in the bag?" I asked. "C'mon! Let's go." She replied, avoiding my question. We walked side by side all the way to Kirin's house. I kept trying to get her to tell me what was in the bag, but she kept it away. We reached the door to her house and Lenne looked around. "Okay, here." She said, handing over the bag. "Why now? Why couldn't I see before?" I asked. "Too many people were around. They might have noticed us and the interviews would have been endless." She responded. "That's right. You're so clever." I said, smiling. She smiled, too, and signaled to open the bag. I did and found a box covered with velvet. "I think you'll like it." She said. I opened the box. It was a chain. There was a locket attached to it. On the back, the phrase "In eternal bonds I'll cradle you; never let you go. Always together from now unto forever. To Shuyin, with all my heart and soul, Lenne." I read aloud. "Lenne..." I said, a tear sliding down my eye, "I love it, and it's true. I'll never leave you." "I knew you'd like it. And look, it's your team's symbol, too." She said happily. I kissed her and she knocked on the door.  
  
A few moment's later, Kirin opened the door, wearing a robe. "Come in. I'll be right back." She said and hurriedly ran upstairs. Lenne giggled a little and walked in, pulling me in with her. We went to her living room and I sat down on a recliner. Lenne decided to stand for a while, looking around at all the pictures Kirin had in the room. "Who's this? I see him in a lot of the pictures." She asked, pointing at a person in a photo that was perched on top of Kirin's SV. I walked over. "Oh that? That's Jurama. He's Kirin's current love interest." I said. "Oh. He's pretty good looking." She said, admiring the picture in a playful manner. "Oh? Is that so?" I inquired, putting my hands to my hips. She giggled and we heard footsteps drumming down from the second floor. "She's back." I stated, flailing my arm out to greet my friend's presence. "Hiya, guys!" Kirin called, running over to us, "Admiring my photos, I see." "Jurama is a very handsome man." Lenne commented. "Thank you. I picked a good guy." She smiled. "So, now that we're all settled, what shall we do?" I popped in. "Let's just talk. You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend, Shuyin. I want to get to know her." Kirin said. "I'd like to know about you, too." Lenne added. "It's a girl thing, Shuyin. You wouldn't understand." Kirin joked. "Uh huh." I sarcastically replied, smirking at the both of them. They giggled and ran off to Kirin's room. "Oh, and by the way, I've got a VidStation. You can play!" Kirin called back, still running with Lenne.  
  
Yay! I get to play more video games while my two female friends chatted about girly stuff. Looking at the VidStation system, I frowned only because the graphics of the system was in no way as up to date as my GameSphere. I mean the FMVs were just as good, but the gameplay was not so crisp. I guess it didn't matter. I quickly grabbed the controller, threw it onto the couch, and took a look at the available games. Cool, she had Time Crush. It was an RPG I had wanted to play for a while, but it only came out for the VidStation so I was out of luck. I really didn't want the system. Anyway, I put in the game cube and turned on the system, taking a seat on the couch I threw the controller on before. The intro to the game was brilliant, continuing off from Time Elapse, a classic. I was playing as the main character, a girl named, Rippa, and I had to stop some guy from using the Chrono Track. That item was something that allowed the user to traverse the fabric of time and across all the dimensions within that period of time. My first battle began and it was already turning into a very exciting story. I played it non-stop.  
  
After I beat the game, Lenne and Kirin came back, laughing the entire time. The ending FMV was showing and I was thinking about how fast I went through the entire game. Usually RPGs were very long and I still finished in about seven hours. Anyway, Kirin and Lenne were back and saw me watching the ending. "Whoa, you finished that entire game?" Kirin asked, utterly shocked. "Yes, yes I did." I replied, stunned a little, as well. "Why is that so shocking? I thought Shuyin was a gaming nut." Lenne inputted. "It's shocking because RPGs take at least a good week to complete, if you're lucky. This guy just completed it in seven hours." Kirin explained. "Wow!" Lenne replied, baffled.  
  
"So what did you guys talk about anyway?" I asked. "We chatted about girl stuff. We talked about you a lot, too" Kirin answered. "I wanted to try out her quirky thing, also." Lenne added, blushing. "Yea. Shuyin, your girl has got some bod. You're really lucky." Kirin chimed, whistling at Lenne who blushed more. "Wow..." I said, blushing as well. "Oh gosh. Look at the time. It's almost 1 o'clock. You two should probably get going. I don't want to be held responsible for you collapsing in the middle of the street." Kirin said.  
  
"Make sure you take care of this one, Lenne. He tends to drift in his thoughts, sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell off the road on his way home." Kirin warned, looking at me with a cocky grin on her face. "Yea, sure, Kirin. As if." I said, picking my chin up to look upset. Lenne giggled a little and said goodbye to Kirin. "Bye!" Kirin said, shutting the door after waving.  
  
"I like her. She's a great person." Lenne said on our way home. "Yea, I know what you mean." I agreed. Lenne made sure to hold onto my arm tightly to make sure I wouldn't stumble off the road like Kirin warned. I had to admit, I was completely out of it. I probably would have walked right off the road without Lenne there.  
  
We reached my house and Lenne walked me up to my bedroom. I collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep right there. I didn't even have the energy to get Lenne to my guest bedroom. 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Power of Aeons  
  
I woke up in my bed, position changed. I remembered falling asleep flat on my face, but here I was facing the ceiling. I guessed Lenne moved me. And here she lies, in my arms. She must have thought it to be too late to walk all the way home and chose to stay. She was snuggled next to my left side, head and hand on my chest. I stroked her hair gently while thinking on past events. It had been close to nine months and I still couldn't tell her my feelings, though I knew I was truly feeling those things. My theory remained that I would tell her when the moment was right.  
  
A few minutes later, Lenne awoke. "Uh... Good morning, Shuyin." She said to me, her gaze at my gut... I think. "Morning." I replied, looking at the back of her head. Suddenly, she got up and rushed to the bathroom. I got up slowly and then proceeded to go after her. I waited outside and watched her brush her teeth like it was a fireworks display and I was a five-year-old kid. Lenne nearly choked when she saw me staring at her like that.  
  
"I wanna see Kirin again. I told her that I'd go to Besaid with her today." Lenne informed me. "That's cool. I'll go hang out with Rothel, then." I responded, thinking how long it had been since I actually hung out with him. We kissed and exited my house. I locked it and we were off.  
  
"Hi again, guys!" Kirin greeted as she opened the door, "Lenne, we set?" "Yep. We're all ready to go to Besaid." She answered. "Great!" My blonde friend exclaimed, jumping a little before grabbing Lenne's arm and running past me. "See ya later, Shuyin!" Kirin waved, still dragging Lenne away. I couldn't help but laugh a little. She was so perky.  
  
I embarked on my journey to see Rothel. Thank goodness for today, the citizens weren't out and about. I had no idea why not, but it was good that I didn't have to sneak around. That can get annoying sometimes. I strolled carelessly, taking my sweet time to get to my friend's house.  
  
"Hey man! Nice to see ya! Where's the girl... or, ah... girls?" Rothel said, giving me light punches in the gut. "Well, Lenne's off with Kirin and the summoner has her job, ya know?" I answered, not telling him the complete truth. "Whoa! Kirin's wit Lenne? Damn! That girl's gonna make Lenne a perky little songstress. That oughta put a nice smile on your face, eh?" Rothel laughed. "C'mon, Rothel. Ya know I'm not like that." I replied, trying to get him to back off. "Eh? Right, right, right. I forgot. You never had one o' them, ah nights." He chuckled. He's the best. You can always count on Rothel to put a smile on your face and sunshine in your day. "So, how's it goin' with your girl?" I asked. "What girl? You know I don't keep 'em. I mean, yeah, a week or two, maybe, but I don't keep." He explained. "Yea, sure. One of these days you'll change your mind about that." I said, thinking back on the wonderful time he had had with a certain Kume. "Anyway, me and that girl aren't together no more. She don't like a guy that can't commit, ya know?" He sighed. I felt a little upset at him. Couldn't commit? He could if he really wanted to, but he's so stubborn. "Rothel, you know as well as I do, you can't hide forever. Sooner or later a girl's gonna win your heart and you'll be head over heels ready to satisfy her." I said, thoughts of Lenne surging through my words. "So, you in love. I get that. Good for you Tidus. Ya deserve the best." He commented, patting my back.  
  
We went to Mt. Gagazet that day. He wanted to chat with a Ronso friend of his and I just wanted to hang out with my buddy. "Hey there, Galte!" Rothel waved over to a large, white Ronso. "Galte happy to see Rothel." The lion-faced being replied, hugging his friend. "Hey! I want ya to meet someone." Rothel said, pointing at me. "Galte know him. Galte see him play blitz with Rothel. He is Tidus." The Ronso replied. "Yes, I am. Hi there, Galte!" I said, holding my hand out to shake his. Galte didn't take it. Instead, he grabbed me and hugged me, too. "A little friendly are we? C'mon, you're crushin' me!" I said, gasping a little for breath. It was bad enough that the air was thin, but to be compressed by a strong being such as he was just too much. "C'mon, you gonna kill 'im. He ain't as rough as us." Rothel said, prying Galte off me.  
  
I spent most of the time there listening to them telling old stories about their friendship. "Then, he got canned, remember?" Rothel shouted about some Al Bhed they had embarrassed. "Galte remember. Funny Al Bhed! Puny Al Bhed!" He yelled, laughing up a storm. Did these guys really think it was THAT funny? They started talking about another time, in Bevelle, when they had embarrassed its leader by throwing beer at him and causing his wig to fall off. "That was hilarious! The guy fumed at us for so long and we had to run away from those dumb ass guards!" Rothel cackled, chugging the rest of his beer and asking the bartender for another. "Galte like times with Galte's friend!" The Ronso laughed. Meanwhile, I was thinking about the upcoming season of blitz. It would be my second season with Lenne at my side. I was thrown away from those thoughts as a big Ronso paw smacked my back, hard. "Uh! Galte! Ow, that hurt!" I complained, rubbing my back. The two of them just laughed that much harder and chugged more beer. Rothel looked at me like I had a fever or something and asked, "Why you not drinkin' wit us?" "I'm not much of a drinker, Rothel. You know that. I'd prefer a cola." I replied, still rubbing my back. "Hey! Bartender! Get this kid over here a Alchem-cola!" Rothel ordered. "Right away, bud!" The man behind the counter yelled, wiping a glass clean and pouring the orange-red carbonated drink into it. He slid it across the counter and I stopped it with my left, picking up the glass. "So, how ya think the Fangs 'ill do this season?" Rothel asked Galte. "Galte think Ronso do good this season. Galte know Fangs beat Abes this season." He responded, hitting his chest with his right fist in intimidation. "Oh, is that so? Tidus, tell 'em what you know's gonna happen." He said, snapping his fingers at me and pointing. "Uh, well, I think the Abes can win the championship again. I mean straight victories, right? I think we can keep it up." I answered. "Galte wish you luck. Fangs going to win. Galte know. But Rothel friend of Galte so Galte wish him and friend luck." Galte said, patting Rothel on the shoulder.  
  
They departed with a hug. "Hope ya the best, Galte." Rothel said. "Goodbye, Rothel and Tidus." The Ronso said. He walked off as Rothel walked back over to me. "Hey, let's go." He said, pushing my shoulder to get me to start walking. We headed back for home.  
  
"Ya know, talkin' with Galte got me thinkin'." Rothel started. "Thinkin' of what?" I asked. "I don't really have too many memories wit you. Maybe we should make some. How bout it?" He replied. "Well, what do you have in mind?" I said, wondering what he was up to. "Let's go to Bevelle and really pull a prank." He suggested, enthusiasm coursing through his veins. "Um, I don't know about that. It doesn't seem like such a good idea." I returned, concerned that this might have hurt my friend. "Nah, we be fine. In fact, you can take the easy job. I'll get some poor shlub to come to the prank point, then you just have to make sure the trap is set, k?" He responded, eager to have me go with this plan of his. "Fine... If you really want to." I gave in. "Great. We gotta think up a helluva plan." He howled, extremely enthusiastic about this prank of his.  
  
We arrived in Bevelle within a half an hour. It took so long due to the fact that Rothel had a little prankster's block, stalling his ideas. However, he had managed to think up a really 'good' one and I had to set up the trap. We entered Bevelle and, again, I noticed those weird looks. I didn't want to be there. Something just told me that Bevelle and Zanarkand were feeling some turbulence and this visit wasn't helping. The prank we'd pull wouldn't be helpful, either.  
  
I got into position and started to build the trap. The basic idea was to have a greased up floor, a sticky wall, and a nice little sign with a punch line on it. This sign had 'Bevelle's Brightest' written on it. I guess he was gonna find some brainiac and get him to slip on the greased floor, hit the sticky wall, and look like an idiot while the sign was displayed above him.  
  
My guess was correct. As I finished the trap, Rothel ran to me yelling behind him about someone's mother. "Get down." He whispered, commanding me to hide. He lunged at me, tackling me to the ground. We watched as the man chasing him, a guard of Bevelle, ran into the grease, slid, screamed, and smacked into the wall, getting himself completely stuck. Rothel laughed like a lunatic as he walked out into the open. He pointed and cackled at the guard who was steaming with rage with each passing second of humiliation. "Oh my goodness, he's gonna kill Rothel one day." I muttered, still hiding. Rothel walked back over to me and we ran towards the exit of Bevelle.  
  
"Just where do you two think you're going?" Another guard asked, eyeing us suspiciously underneath his visor. "We were just gonna go home." I said. "Yea, we jus plastered one of your boys to a wall. You probably hear his shrieks soon." Rothel laughed. The guard didn't find any of this funny as he called for a few other guards to come and apprehend us. "Hey man, just a joke. Don't take life so seriously man. Take it easy." Rothel said, trying to get us out of the mess. "Arrest them!" The initial guard commanded. The other guards surrounded us, closing in while pointing their guns. Unfortunately, they got a little too close.  
  
I took out my sword quickly and knocked the ones nearest me to the ground with a leg swipe. Rothel ducked and I lifted myself, making a higher swing, this time batting the other guards in the head with the flat side one my blade. "Let's get the hell out of here!" I yelled. Rothel nodded, and we ran as fast as we could back for Zanarkand. As we left the gates, a bullet hit the ground near my foot. However, seeing as it didn't hit me, the two of us just kept running.  
  
We got back to Zanarkand rather quickly. Stopping right after the gates, we both gasped for breath. "You... are... an... idiot!" I choked out, glaring at Rothel. "Hey... take... easy... man..." He breathed, trying to calm me down. "We could've died back there!" I exclaimed, my second wind kicking in, giving me enough oxygen to speak normally. "Nah... Never happen." Rothel said, waving a hand at me as if to push away that kind of thought.  
  
That stunt was incredibly stupid. What if that shot had hit my foot? What if it did worse? What if that bullet hit me in the head? I'd never do anything that stupid again.  
  
We walked back to Rothel's house and I collapsed on his couch and put my hand on my face, trying to calm myself down after that horrendous act. "Tidus, I'm sorry, k?" Rothel said seriously for a change. "Yea, I know." I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, "but don't ever ask me to do anything like that again." "But ya gotta admit, it was funny." He said, laughing again. I shook my head. That kind of funny wasn't for me. "I'm a little tired. You got anywhere to go?" Rothel asked. "Yea, I'll probably just go find Lenne." I answered, getting up from my seat. "You ain't mad at me, right?" He asked, concerned for our friendship, "Nah, just take care, okay?" I replied, exiting his house.  
  
I walked about aimlessly for a while. I reached Lenne's house and saw that the lights were on. I decided to knock on the door.  
  
"Hey there!" Lenne said when she opened the door. "Hiya, Shuyin!" Kirin yelled from behind her, waving playfully. She was hiding because she wasn't dressed... again. "Keep your clothes on!" I yelled, covering my eyes. "Sorry, bad habit." She offered, running back to the living room where she'd left her skirt and bikini top. Lenne uncovered my eyes by grabbing my hand. She dragged me into her house and Kirin patted me on my chest. "So, is this better?" She said, presenting herself to me. "Yes, much." I replied, nodding. "We were thinking about dancing outside before you came, so wanna join us?" Lenne asked. "Sure!" I answered, having nothing better to do. Besides, dancing was relaxing and, with Lenne, it was more relaxing. We left her house.  
  
"I knew I'd find you here!" A female voice shouted. I looked and saw it was that other summoner, Trista. "What do you want?" Kirin sneered, looking at the summoner with much distaste. Lenne must have told her about that incident. "I'm not talking to you, troll." Trista hissed, turning her gaze back to me, "We've got unfinished business." "What are you talking about?" I asked, showing my disdain with my words. "Oh you know." She sneered, glaring at me. "What, you didn't have enough of me when I was choking you?" I jeered back, grinning at the thought of snapping her neck. "Enough!" She barked, "I want my revenge!"  
  
She took out her staff and smirked at me. "You versus me. Let's see who'd win." I growled, unsheathing my sword. "You'll regret those words." She hissed. I realized my miscalculation as I watched her starting to summon an Aeon. "Oh crap." I mumbled. "Stop this, Trista!" Lenne yelled, trying to keep the girl from summoning something that could tear me to pieces. "Sorry, Lenne. He brought it on himself!" She snarled, finishing the summoning of Valefor. The winged-beast appeared behind her and gave a battle cry. "Fine! I'll take on all your Aeons! I'll take them down one by one!" I roared, losing my fear and gaining my rage. My eyes became angry eyes again. Once again, the light blue of the pond transformed into the dark blue of a hurricane waiting to happen.  
  
The bird attacked me with its beak. I dodged left and it flew past me, its wing smacking me in the back of the head. I growled and lunged at it. I missed it as it flew upwards and made a dive at me. I stood my ground. As it came in, I leaped, grabbing onto it as it struggled to lose its new passenger. "Gotcha!" I screamed, stabbing the beast in the back of the head. It faltered, losing altitude little by little. I jumped off of it as it hit the ground and slashed it one last time for good measure, watching as it dispersed into pyreflies with a cry.  
  
"I'll teach you to kill my Valefor!" Trista yelled, beginning a new summon. I tried to stop her, but she managed to get the Aeon out before I reached. It was Ifrit. "Ifrit! Fira!" The summoner commanded. The Aeon obeyed and blasted me with flames. I dodged just in time and kept myself moving to avoid getting locked on by the beast. Closing in, I kicked off of its arm, slashed its neck, and landed in front of it. Quickly, I stabbed Ifrit behind me and heard the anguished scream of the beast as it, too, disappeared.  
  
"I'll get you yet!" Trista fumed, summoning yet another Aeon. "Ixion! Thundara!" She ordered, as I watched the summoned beast form electricity with its arms, aiming for me. The bolts rained outward, racing towards me. I dashed right, but one of the bolts hit my sword, shocking me as well. "AhHhhH!" I screamed, the pain coursing through my body. The beast started walking towards me and I tried my best to move, but was paralyzed. "Stupid horse!" I yelled, regaining my ability to move my arm. It formed disks of energy and sent them my way, but I blocked it somehow with my sword. I followed through, cutting the creature in both legs and arms. It began to sway and finally kneeled onto the floor due to its injuries. "Ixion! Use Thor's Hammer!" Trista yelled. The Aeon got back up and waved its arms around, creating a storming vortex around me. "Shit!" I exclaimed, running toward the beast. I jumped onto one of its arms, spun, and lopped of its head, landing in a neat stance next to the fallen creature. It vanished, as well.  
  
"Is that all you got?" I snarled at the stupid prissy bitch that was causing me so much grief. "Oh, that's far from it. I'll give you something to worry about. Like Shiva!" She cried, summoning the maiden of ice. I ran towards her, sword held out, ready to cut her down. "Blizzara!" Trista commanded. Shiva waved her arms and shot a strong beam of frost at me. She managed to hit my leg and I crashed to the floor. My leg was frozen solid and it hurt a lot. The maiden floated over to me and lifted me up, looking at me with icy blue eyes. "I can't lose. I won't!" I struggled, trying to get out of her grip. She moved her face closer to me, closing her eyes. My guess was that she was trying to kiss me, a kiss of cold death. "No!" I growled, shaking as her lips came closer. At the last possible second, my leg felt warm again and I also struggled out of my shirt that Shiva was gripping. When I landed on the floor, I quickly got up and kneed her in the gut, causing her to fold over. Then, I took the opportunity to get my sword in position. As she rose, I stabbed her in the gut. Her body fell on me and with a cold tear, Shiva another of my victims.  
  
"Fine! So what if you beat those wimps. You won't beat my next Aeon!" Trista hissed, beginning to summon yet another Aeon. "Now, witness my power! I summon Bahamut!" She roared, summoning the most powerful Aeon I'd ever seen. "Bahamut! Destroy!" She yelled at her dragon. The beast roared, a sound that penetrated my mind, body, and soul. Fear grasped me. What was I to do now? I couldn't fight Bahamut.  
  
It charged at me with unequivocal speed. I tried to dodge, but its claw caught me and tore into my chest. The shear force of that impact sent my body flying backwards. When I landed, I had three blood-spewing tears etched to my chest and I was coughing up the same substance. Bahamut came back around, ready for a second strike. I stumbled back onto my feet and fearfully awaited its next and, given the current statistics, most likely its final assault. It came at me.  
  
The grin on Trista's face showed me that I had lost. "Shuyin!" Lenne cried, tears streaming down her face as she watched on, powerless. It was true that she had the spells Cure, Cura, and Curaga. However, they worked only on knock out damage. This damage I had received was fatal damage. Lenne wouldn't be able to save me if I should get hit again.  
  
And it did come at me again. I waited, acting even more injured that I truly was, though I was hurt horribly. The beast lunged at me, its claw out in front, as if to reach out and rip my still-beating heart straight out of my red-covered chest. At the last possible moment, however, I jumped and flew into the air above the beast. I pointed my sword downward and, as Bahamut's body passed me by, the entire spine had a deep gash apparent upon it. The creature roared in pain, crashing into a nearby light-post. "Get up!" I heard Trista scream, furious at my survival. The Aeon, too, seemed peeved, growling at the sight of my living form. It flew at me yet again. This time I chose to latch onto it. I waited for it to get close enough to me and then I grabbed onto the large golden ring at the shoulders of the beast. I hung on tightly despite my loss of blood and energy. With my sword in hand, I impaled the dragon with it, the blade passing from the back of the skull straight through the mouth. I tore my weapon out from the left side of Bahamut's face, ripping apart the jaw. I leapt off of the creature and it landed in a heap, dying. With one final attempt, the beast surged back to life and planted itself on the ground. Energy swirled around its mouth and grew. "Yay! MegaFlare now!" Trista commanded, the tone of her voice alarming me to the magnitude of this attack. I had to act quickly. I had to make sure to stop this beast before he could fire that energy and fry me to a crisp. My body chose to use its own ultimate blast. I watched on as my body swung my sword back, jumping into the air while also gathering energy into the blade. Bahamut finished and sent the blast towards my direction. Meanwhile, I had collected enough energy, as well, and sent forth my blast. "Force Rain!" I heard myself scream as the energy flew towards the MegaFlare. Both concentrations of energy collided and destroyed the other as the winds swirled fiercely from it. Bahamut cried its final cry and collapsed to the ground, dead. The pyreflies flew back to Trista as her face became pale, but vengeful.  
  
"Okay! Enough with the nice girl act!" She shrieked. Again, she started a summoning. This Aeon was one I'd never seen. It looked like an obese man with a large hat. "I'll bet you've never come across this little baby. I picked him up at this cave that you're never going to find. I was just lucky." She gloated. This Aeon was strange, though. It didn't immediately attack. Instead, it seemed to be waiting for something. After a while, I found out what that was. Trista strolled over to the Aeon and said, "Here Yojimbo. Your payment for killing this little dweeb." Trista dropped a large sack into the open palm of the Aeon. It nodded and took out a sword. The sword didn't really look that impressive, though. I heard Trista fume at Yojimbo for that. "That's not Zanmato! Don't use Daigoro! Use Zanmato!" She barked but the Aeon didn't pay attention. It seemed like this Aeon was nothing more than a mercenary. Yojimbo approached slowly but menacingly nonetheless. It pulled the sword up to the sky and I charged it. I went to swipe at its midsection, but it brought down the sword to block. The sword shattered, much to my amazement. "What the?" I stammered, utterly baffled by the horrible craftsmanship of the blade. "Use ZANMATO!!!" Trista screamed. Next, the Aeon pulled out yet another blade. This one was abnormally short and I thought Yojimbo was spiting its master. "Use Zanmato! Don't use Wakizashi!" Said the pompous summoner of whom I spoke. I couldn't help but laugh. It was humorous watching her Aeon disobey ever one of her commands to use whatever Zanmato was. Suddenly Yojimbo lunged at me, trying to impale me on the end of its short blade. I parried and struck the assailant's wrist, severing it. Yojimbo howled in pain and Trista smiled. She wasn't smiling at the Aeon's wound, however, she was smiling at the fact that I had just pissed it off. It was going to use Zanmato because of that. The sword it pulled out of thin air this time actually felt like raw power. I braced myself. Yojimbo sped to me and made a downward strike, trying to cut me in half. I somersaulted away and put my sword out to my rear. I charged towards the creature and slashed at it countless times in various places. First a horizontal slash, then a diagonally upward one, followed by a vertical upward, and so on. I continued this for at least two minutes straight and Yojimbo was powerless to stop me. "I call it, the Hit and Run." I said, finishing the attack. Yojimbo limped forward to me just a little, but as he tried to grab my neck, he fell forward and died.  
  
"Grr... Stupid useless Aeons! I can't believe they were beaten by a stupid boy!" Trista shrieked. "So get lost already!" Kirin said, motioning her hands to shoo the summoner away. I didn't want that. She had gone too far with this fight. She was going to let Bahamut kill me. I ran to her and no one suspected my actions. I grabbed her by her flimsy neck and lifted her struggling form off the ground. "You go too far m'lady summoner." I snarled, tightening my grasp. She couldn't speak. All she could do was choke, and choke she did. I wasn't about to let her go. She'd pay for her failed attempt. "Shuyin! Stop!" Lenne cried, pulling at my free arm. I didn't pay attention. My eyes never left Trista's for a moment. Cold, dead blue eyes stared at her like a tiger stares at a doe before tearing out its throat. "Time to visit the Farplane." I growled, tightening my grip more. I started to hear the cracking of her vertebrae when I was thrown back by an invisible force.  
  
"ENOUGH!" I heard in the distance. From a distance, the woman I'd seen before, the daughter of Yu Yevon, Yunalesca arrived... 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Unity, the illusion  
  
Yunalesca walked over to Trista and checked to see if she was all right. Seeing that I had left a nice big red hand-imprint on her neck brought me some satisfaction, but her much anger. Her eyes trailed the ground until it came upon my fallen form. She glared at me. How dare she? I was just assaulted by a summoner and her entire list of Aeons for no reason other than to watch me die. I glared back. The anger I had for Trista expanded and included this one, as well. I got to my feet.  
  
"Look, this doesn't concern you. That summoner and I are involved with this, not you. Do me a favor and buzz off, NOW!" I growled at Yunalesca.  
  
She looked at me still however, a look of disgust. Proud summoners, curse them all. I began to walk towards her. The wound across my chest was still fresh and hurting me with each passing second. I didn't care. I had enough anger in me to carry me on. "Look, I don't have the patience to deal with two bitches so if you wouldn't mind." I sneered. "I don't care if you mind or not. You harmed a summoner and therefore you will be punished!" She hissed back. This was getting on my nerves. I had said more than what I should have had to say. Besides, actions speak louder than words.  
  
I unsheathed my sword yet again and swung it at her. Her eyes grew wide, unsuspecting of my hasty assault. Fortunately for her, another blade caught mine before it could do any damage. "And you are?" I said, glaring at a man in golden armor and a cloak. "Blitzer, my name is Lord Zaon. I'd suggest you remember it well." He mused. "Oh, of course, my lord. I'll embed your name deep within my mind... after I kill you." I said, mocking his title.  
  
He had enough and I was already waiting for a fight. He broke up our lock and tried to swipe my middle. I expected that and backed away plainly, dodging the attack with ease. Then it was my turn. I pulled up my sword and whipped it around my front in a diagonal slash. He quickly held up this blade and blocked it, kneeling on one knee to brace the impact. "How does it feel, my lord, to be kneeling in front of a commoner?" I mocked yet again. "How DARE you!" He fumed, moving away and getting back into his stance. I charged him, jumping at the last second and flipping while having my sword out. Unable to block, the lord had to roll out of the way.  
  
"Shuyin! Stop this!" Lenne cried. "You need to keep your blitzer in line! You are a summoner! Act like it!" Yunalesca instructed her. I noticed Lenne getting a bit ticked off herself. "I'm sick of you summoners acting like 'the miracle of Spira!' You aren't! All people are equal and you need to learn that! Shuyin isn't my slave. I don't give him orders. He and I cooperate. Maybe your husband needs to realize he isn't your lap dog!" Lenne argued. "You get her Lenne!" Kirin added, sticking her tongue out at Yunalesca. That sent her over the top. And it was then that Trista chimed in. "Butt out bimbo." "Who are you calling a bimbo? I'll show you bimbo!" Kirin challenged. Now this fight had gotten out of hand. I was fine when it was just me and this idiot, but now Lenne and Kirin were involved and I didn't want them to get hurt. "Lenne, Kirin, stay out of this!" I ordered, parrying another strike by Zaon. The two ignored me and I couldn't do anything about it from my opponent's constant assaults.  
  
At this point, Lenne was ready to face off against Yunalesca and Kirin had her daggers out, ready to face Trista. Meanwhile, I dodged a swing at my throat and winced at the pain of stretching my wounded chest to that extent. I managed a back tumble, grabbing my chest when I finished and was crouched on the ground. "Off your game, blitzer?" He jeered. I got back up in an instant, causing my wound to reopen and send a stinging pain at me. I winced again, but I ignored it and lunged at Zaon. He sidestepped, but I swung my sword horizontally and hit him across the chest, cutting his armor and letting his blood seep out onto it and my sword. He stumbled back, touching the new color of red on his outfit. Glaring at me, he recklessly charged me and my face beamed with a nice big smirk. I got him right where I wanted him. As he got in range, I ducked his strike, extending my leg and tripping him. When he fell to the floor, I was already standing with my sword pressed to the back of his neck. "You shouldn't have tried to stop me." I stated coldly.  
  
Suddenly, I heard a yell of pain from behind me. I turned and noticed that Lenne had just taken a Thunder spell from Yunalesca and was now totally unable to even attempt to avoid the Firaga spell that would be coming for her next. "LENNE!" I cried, running towards her. As I did, I also noticed that Kirin wasn't doing so well, either. Trista had her pinned to the ground with a couple of Blizzard spells, freezing her legs and arms. She wasn't able to use her daggers and Trista gloated as she cast Cura on herself from a previous stab injury.  
  
While I was noticing these things, Zaon took advantage. I was distracted and he had the perfect opportunity to take me out. He swept my legs from under me and I fell on my side. Before anything else, he had stood up and was pressing his sword against my neck. "Never ever turn your back to me. I can promise you, you won't like what happens." He gloated. I lost. Zaon used my distraction to get the better of me. I didn't care about that, though. "Yunalesca, STOP! Don't you dare hurt Lenne!" I cried. She wasn't impressed. After all, how much of a threat was a guy who was on the floor with a sword on his neck? She laughed a little before saying, "You foolish little athlete. Never ever challenge a summoner. Never harm a summoner. I will leave you to your business if you can remember that." Lenne had enough. Taking her chance when Yunalesca wasn't paying attention, she quickly cast Thundaga. The spell hit the woman hard and she went down quickly, slightly shocked by the assault.  
  
I also took advantage of that, while Zaon had his focus on his wife. He didn't notice, but I slid my neck away from his sword and began to move mine. "Fool, die for your insolence!" He said, stabbing down with the sword after realizing my movement. The sword hit the ground and I quickly tripped his legs while rolling back to my feet. By the time he had regained his balance, I was on top of him, my blade bearing down in a vertical slash. He blocked it just in time. I quickly moved our joined swords near his chin. One wrong move and he'd be finished while I could make all the bad moves in the world. The weapon was poised at his throat, not mine. I could've sneezed right there and it would've been his head, literally.  
  
"Foul rapscallion!" He sneered. "Aw, did the infamous Lord Zaon hurt his pride? I feel so terrible." I mocked. He wasn't a match for me, as much as he believed he was. The thing is, I was trained by Takuma, an unsent. Who knows how many years or even decades he could've been around, teaching himself new tricks. And he taught all of his tricks to me. Exactly how was I to lose? I had the fighting technique of someone who has been around longer than any living warrior. "How dare you mock me?" He growled. "Hey, I only do it because you look so cute when you're pissed off." I mused, extremely satisfied by his fuming expression. Meanwhile, as I looked around, Lenne had Yunalesca practically cornered. I could tell she was enjoying her fight, too. After all, she was just as sick and tired of that woman as I was. Also, Trista was losing to Kirin. While she gloated, the spell faded and Kirin was able to attack again, I suppose. In any case, she was on top of Trista, one dagger pinned tightly on her chest while mocking her with funny faces.  
  
"I have had it with you!" Yunalesca screamed. I looked back over and saw her summon an Aeon I'd never seen before. "It is time to end this! If you will not comply, I will relinquish you from this world!" She continued. The summoned beast looked strange. It looked like some sort of iron gladiator that wielded an axe. "What is that?" Lenne gasped, staring up at the creature with terrified eyes. "Efface her from this world, Foricon!" Yunalesca commanded.  
  
"LENNE!" I cried, removing my sword to help her. Zaon seemed to let me go. I guess even he thought Yunalesca had gone too far. When the beast swung its axe, Lenne cowered. Why wouldn't she? I'm the one with the sword. All she had were spells and at this speed, she'd never be able to cast one in time. I rushed over to her and at the last minute, blocked the swipe. However, the Aeon was immensely powerful. The axe slammed into my sword and plunged me into the ground. I held my sword there, trying my best to keep the opposing weapon from reaching me. My strength was giving. I was going on adrenaline this whole time and now, with it used up, I was fading fast. "Stop this! Please!" I heard from two locations. Both Kirin and Lenne screamed for the madwoman to stop her Aeon. Would she listen?  
  
"Yuna, please." Zaon spoke up. He knew this was going too far. Hey, even that fight was going too far. I was injured. The only reason I beat Zaon was because I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, and I had. Now, struggling against this creature, while at the same time losing a lot of blood, I was totally done for. If the Aeon didn't stop in a few seconds, the axe would be imbedded into my skull.  
  
"Stop Foricon!" Yunalesca finally commanded, calling the Aeon back. Afterwards, she walked up to my fallen form and smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was a smile that said that I lost and she won. I tried to lift myself off the ground and smack that smile off her face, but I couldn't. She decided to gloat some more and put her heel into my wound, making it sting further. "Little blitz rat, do not upset me. Otherwise, I will have to squash you like all the other disobedient rodents!" She snarled, pushing her heel into my wound more, before stepping off and leaving with Trista and her husband.  
  
"Shuyin! Are you okay?" Lenne and Kirin both yelled, coming to my aid. "I'm fine. Just my pride that hurts the most." I sighed, allowing my two female companions to help me to my feet. "You shouldn't have tried to hurt Trista like that." Lenne said, while taking a look at my wound. "Lenne, she was totally out of line! What was Shuyin supposed to do? Are you okay? She was kinda rough of you." Kirin asked me sympathetically. "I'm fine. Just fine. Don't worry about me. I just need to get this wound cleaned up and I'll be peachy." I said, groaning a little from moving. The blood was hardening. It made the slightest stretching of skin cause pain.  
  
We headed back inside to Lenne's house. The two of them helped me to the kitchen where Lenne got me a few pieces of gauze and some rubbing alcohol. I took one of the pieces and put some water on it. I wanted to rub off the dried blood before cleaning the wound with the alcohol. Carefully, I wiped away all of the stains on my chest. When I finished, I saw the three claw marks. Thank you Bahamut. Next, I took a couple of pieces and filled it with the alcohol. It would sting horribly, but what choice did I have? I had to clean out the wound. I didn't want to get sick and I wanted to prevent a scar. Slowly and very cautiously, I pressed the gauze onto my wound. The pain was enormous and excruciating, but nothing compared to actually getting the wound, so I could handle it. Kirin bit her bottom lip while I did this and bit down harder each time I winced from the pain. "Stop that. You're gonna end up chewing your lip right off if you don't stop." I joked. "Funny, Shuyin, but I'm just worried about ya. You know that." She replied. "I know... Thanks." I told her, smiling afterwards. I continued to clean off my wound and Lenne found some cloth for me to use as a bandage. I placed the cloth across my chest and taped the edges to my skin. Almost immediately, the cloth showed three smears of red. I washed my hands and went to look for my shirt. Kirin jumped up in front of me then, handing me the article of clothing. "Thanks."  
  
"Why do Yunalesca and those other summoners have to be such self-righteous asses?" Kirin asked, not being able to rid herself of those unpleasant thoughts, like I hadn't. "That's just the way people are. If you can do something that someone else can't, you want to rub that into people's faces." I answered her. "I don't know. I mean she's nice to the other summoners. She just seems to have a problem with me and you." Lenne inputted. I guessed the reason for Yunalesca not liking her was because Lenne was first, a songstress and second, a summoner. In her mind, being a summoner allowed you to be better than everybody else. Well, I have to admit that Aeons are a force to be reckoned with, but that still doesn't make you any better than anyone else. I'm a star blitzer but I don't act all high and mighty because of it. I just win my games and keep up the Tidus persona. "Ya know, I think they are stuck up. That's all really. They just make themselves the big shots of Zanarkand and we are all the little people who have to praise them." Kirin stated, her distaste for summoners showing with each word. "I don't know. I still think that it's just because of human nature." I returned, trying to calm my friend. "Shuyin, you know as well as I do that you're the best blitzer on all of Spira. Do you act like they do? If they're right, you should be out there making people sing your praises, too." Kirin retorted. She was right. I was an extremely talented blitzer and I never let it go to my head. However, that has to do with my father and how he always rubbed it in my face that he was the best. I mean cocky is alright, but downright conceited, that's another thing. "Kirin, you know that I'm not stuck up only because of Jecht." I said. "Sure, you had your self-righteous father, but what about them? I'm sure someone in their lives could've shown them not to act like they're a gift from the Farplane." Kirin argued still. "Kirin... I agree with Shuyin. He was lucky to have his father as an example of someone he didn't want to be. Perhaps Yunalesca and those others just didn't." Lenne suggested. "Oh yeah? Then what about you? What makes you not a snotty summoner like them? You are after all a summoner, too." Kirin wouldn't let up. "Well, I'm just not that kind of person. My parents taught me never to speak too highly of myself. They didn't want me to get a big head." Lenne explained. Yes, Lenne had her parents to show her that pride was a stupid concept. I had my horrible excuse of a father. I'll bet that having Yu Yevon for a father didn't really teach Yunalesca the meaning of the word humble. She grew up thinking that summoners run our home and well that's only because Yu Yevon was a capable leader. It's not because he's a summoner, but because he knew how to keep Zanarkand from going belly up.  
  
"You know what? I don't really care. As long as you're not like that, I'll get over it. Although I was very glad to make that little worm, Trista, plead for my mercy." Kirin told Lenne, smirking at the thought of defeating that summoner earlier. "Heh, yeah. She deserved it." I said, recalling how Trista had sent her entire wave of Aeons against me. "Ya know, you're the one who really put her in her place. You beat six Aeons before. That's rather impressive, don't you think? And when you lifted her by her scrawny little neck, I thought you were actually going to snap it." Kirin reveled. "Well, Kirin, I was. I was definitely angry enough. She was just gonna waltz outta there right after trying to kill me. I wasn't about to let her leave without a scratch." I corrected, once again smiling from that handprint I had left. And why shouldn't I have been smiling? I had every right. She thought she could just walk up, disrupt our original plans, attempt homicide, and leave like nothing happened? I saw to it that that didn't happen.  
  
"Well, what do we do now? I'm a little too exhausted to start dancing." I said, giving a big yawn. Kirin smiled at me and said, "Well, that's expected. You lost how much blood? I mean you were bleeding every second after that Bahamut thing slashed you." "Yes, are you alright? That strike was powerful and those gashes were deep." Lenne asked, still worried. She didn't say anything before, but from her look up until then, she was extremely flustered over it, as usual. "Don't act like I'm gonna die. You see me now, right? I'm perfectly healthy. I'm just a little tired and that's from losing a lot of blood earlier, but if I could live for a half an hour without needing a transfusion, I think I'll live." I replied to her, trying to rid her of all those thoughts. I would live. The wound was harsh, yes, but it wasn't bad enough. Besides, I'm strong and I can handle three gashes and bleeding for about two hours.  
  
Finally, Kirin decided to get up from her seat and put on some music. It just happened to be one of Lenne's albums. "You have my albums?" Lenne asked. That was a rather dumb question. Just about all the girls and a lot of the guys in Zanarkand had her albums. They were like gold, especially when signed. Much like my signed blitz balls. "Of course she has your albums. Even I got your albums, after I heard you sing. I mean, besides that, you are Zanarkand's best songstress." I responded. "Yeah, before he met you, he used to just listen to that horribly loud rock music." Kirin mused, putting the DP into her player. "Well, I know I have fans. I just never knew you guys were some." She said, coming over and sitting in my lap. "You should know I'm a fan. I've been to every one of your concerts since that day so many months back. And Kirin here has been a fan since you debuted." I explained, kissing Lenne on the cheek.  
  
"Ugh, this dumb thing won't work." Kirin groaned, smacking the DP-player. Lenne got up and went over. "You know, I don't think hitting it was in the troubleshooting part of the manual." She giggled, putting a hand on Kirin's back. "Stupid machina!" Kirin growled, getting up and kicking it. "Hey, take it easy! Don't get mad at a machina that you let Kion borrow. You know how irresponsible he can be." I offered, getting out of my seat and stopping Kirin from kicking her player anymore. "Ooh, why did I let that idiot borrow my player!?" Kirin complained. "Hey, that's your problem. You figure it out. Not even I could tell you what possessed you to lend it to him of all people." I laughed. "Shuyin!" Kirin grumbled, kicking me in the leg. It was the leg I had injured during that blitz game so long ago. By now, it was healed, but still sore, and with that kick, my leg told me it wasn't pleased. I winced a little, just enough for Kirin to realize what she did. "Oh, sorry! I forgot about that thing. You know, I haven't said anything yet, but that was impressive how you stopped your own move and scored the last goal." Kirin said. "Yes, wasn't that something. I asked him about it before. He told me that shot was unblockable, and then he did it. He told me it was due to the fact that I was watching him." Lenne added. "Aw, that's so sweet. I didn't know you were so romantic Shuyin." Kirin said to me, clasping her hands together and placing them to one side of her face. "Well, it's the truth. If she wasn't out there, I'd let it go into overtime and score when it was our ball. But Lenne was there and she deserved to see something that she's never seen before. Blocking the Jecht shot seemed like something that fit into that category." I shrugged. Kirin punched me in the chest. "You aren't kiddin' that fits. That's what I call charismatic! You put your body on the line so that people would have a show." I smiled and put a hand on the back of my head. It wasn't really that impressive.  
  
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Kirin asked the two of us. "Um, I haven't a clue. Lenne?" I replied, looking over to Lenne for any suggestions. "Well, it is late. Maybe we should just settle in for the night. Just look at the time. It's past midnight." Lenne noted. Kirin and I looked up at the clock. It was way past midnight and I was still exhausted from losing that blood. "Yeah, we probably should turn in." I added.  
  
Therefore, we each went upstairs and went to bed. I was to sleep in one of Kirin's guest rooms and I made sure to take a shower. First of all, I smelled like a dead shoopuff. Second, I wanted to make sure my wound was as clean as can be. I cleaned up and plopped down on the guest bed thinking about the day's events.  
  
I fell asleep and had yet another dream. This time, I found myself in the darkness. The atmosphere was foggy and I could barely see anything. Finally I began to make out a few shadows. As I got closer, I realized they were the silhouettes of Trista and Zaon. I approached those two and they stared at me. "What's going on?" I asked them. Neither replied, however, the fog became lighter and I noticed more silhouettes. They were still covered in darkness and stood behind Zaon and Trista. I hadn't a clue as to what was going on. Why were they here? What were they doing in my dream? Why was I dreaming about these two of all people? Then I saw something that really surprised me. A large figure was hovering over all of them. It had its arms out as if it was a puppeteer manipulating live puppets. "Who are you?" I called up at the shadow. It didn't reply. Slowly though, the fog got even less dense and I saw who it was. Yunalesca was up there, a large overseer. "Yunalesca?" I shouted, "What are you doing?" She just stared like the others. I couldn't even really tell if it was me they were staring at. It was almost as if they were just waiting for something.  
  
I decided that perhaps I should go the other way. I turned around and started walking, but saw more people. This time it was Lenne and Kirin. Behind those two were Rothel, Kion, and Vena. All I could think about was what was going on? Why were they there? Why was Yunalesca huge? Why did it seem like everyone was waiting for something? What did they expect was coming? "Lenne, Kirin? What are you guys doing? Rothel? Kion? C'mon! Somebody answer me! Vena, what's going on?" I asked, pleading with them to talk. None of them answered. Lenne gave me a desperate smile, but that was all. Why was she upset? This was incredibly confusing.  
  
I turned to my left to take a look. Again, more shadows and people were there. I saw Areth. Behind him was the heaviest part of the darkness. However, deep within that darkness was something that brought out a sense of dread. Something was in that dark shroud. It was almost as if it would cause strife one day. Then I got a small glimpse at it. All I could see was a pair of glowing, emotionless, blue eyes. The stare from those cold eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Was that how I appeared when I was angry? I knew my eyes gave away my emotion, but if I looked anything like this beast that I was seeing, I'd swear I was evil.  
  
Again I turned around. If three sides had people, there must be a fourth. How right I was. There was a fourth side to this. I saw Takuma. His was the side that had no darkness. I saw a wondrous garden behind him. It was littered with pyreflies. By my guess, it was the Farplane. If it was, it was magnificent. Purple and pink flowers everywhere and all in full bloom. There was a waterfall with crystal waters flowing constantly down a lush purple hillside. How majestic. But something was wrong. Takuma also had a look to him. It was the same look that he had given me that time when Lenne was in trouble in Macalania. "Takuma!" I breathed, wondering what was wrong. "I fear your future." He said, those words sounding very familiar. It was what he had told me earlier, during that same event. I didn't know what he meant. Was he talking about my fight with Trista? Was that the problem? "Takuma, don't worry. I beat her. I even beat Zaon. You have nothing to fear. I'm perfectly fine." I told him, displaying my form for him to review. He didn't. Instead, he shook his head and repeated his words. I didn't understand. Perhaps I should have paid better attention, but I just didn't.  
  
I looked all around me. I looked back at Yunalesca's corner. They were all just standing there, stiff as statues. Someone else appeared behind Yunalesca. It was a man. He was cloaked in shadow, but I knew it was a man just by his stature. I couldn't see beyond that. I turned back to Takuma's area and it was gone. The Farplane had vanished. What replaced it was a white space. That gave me a strange feeling. I shrugged it off, though, and went to my side. Lenne was solemn. A tear slid down her face. Was she crying? But what was the reason for that? I tried to walk up to her to comfort her, but Areth stopped me in my tracks. He restrained me and for some reason, I couldn't make myself punch him. I couldn't make him get out of my way; he was too strong. I looked at him and he looked back at me. For a while, we just stared into each other's eyes, but then he gave me a look I never wanted to see again. It was that same look he gave me from after the blitz game. It was the look he gave me in my first dream. His smirk proved to be even more frightening than those blue eyes that still glared at me from the distance. "Areth, what's going on?" I questioned, my voice exemplifying my frustration. He did nothing but stare and smirk. "What..." I tried to ask again, but couldn't. A shot was fired. I looked at my chest and it was bleeding. I had been shot. My heart, I felt it go limp. I was dying. My body collapsed onto Areth and he alone supported me, picking my chin up so that he could still smile at me with that hideous smirk. His mouth grew wider and his teeth were bared. Slowly, with mock sympathy, Areth said something. Although I saw his mouth move, I couldn't hear what he was telling me before my vision completely blurred out and the place went dark. Why was this happening to me? What did this all mean? I wanted to know. No, I had to know. 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Two's a couple, three's just plain fun

So, a second dream. I wondered what these dreams are supposed to mean and why it seemed to happen when there's something about summoners going around. The first dream occurred when Lenne had just become a summoner. Then this dream occurred when the Trista/Yunalesca problem arose. What could it have meant?

A bright new day arrived and I awoke first. I could tell that Kirin was still asleep because I didn't hear any music and singing. How much energy that girl had was amazing. I'll bet that if someone could harness her energy, it could power up all of Zanarkand. Anyway, I also knew that Lenne wasn't awake. That was more of a feeling. It was as if her consciousness had some effect on me. Perhaps it was a smell or maybe a sound. It was just that whenever she was awake, I'd smell a perfume that I'd never smell anywhere else. That didn't really make sense, but I'll just go with a guy feeling. Yes, I'll blame it on that.

Anyway, after a half an hour of my babbling, I knew Kirin was up. I heard loud, off-key singing. She wasn't fully awake and therefore her voice was coming out all groggy. Also, Lenne was awake. Well, awake only due to the 'custom' alarm clock. I smiled. The familiar scent, my so-called feeling, of jasmine came to me. Hmm, this day would be relaxing.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Kirin shouted, popping into my room to throw a pillow at my face. "Argh… I was already awake, too." I groaned. "Yeah, sure you were Shuyin." Kirin mused, "I'm gonna go and wake Lenne up." And so she did. After a few seconds, I heard a muffled thump and a voice say, "Ow." That would be Lenne. It seems that this alarm clock didn't just awaken you with sound, but also with some physical prodding. I heard footsteps coming toward me. "Hello all." I said as Lenne and Kirin came in, Lenne holding a hand up to her arm. "I'm sorry, Lenne!" Kirin pleaded. "I already forgave you. It's okay." Lenne replied. "What happened to you? A pillow doesn't hurt that much does it?" I asked. "If that pillow weighed about a hundred and ten pounds and had some bones in it, it would." Lenne moaned. My eyes went wide, "She jumped on you? Kirin!" "I'm SORRY!" Kirin cried. "That's okay. If Lenne forgave you, then it's fine. Are you okay?" I asked my love after trying to rid my friend of her guilt. "I'll live. My poor arm is getting a blue spot, but I'll live." She said, rubbing her arm. I got out of bed and walked over to her. "Here, let me take a look." I offered, extending my hand to look at her injury. "It isn't bad. I'll go get you some ice." "No, let me! I did the damage. I'll help with the fix up." Kirin stated, hurrying off to get the ice.

Waiting for Kirin didn't take too long. She was a very speedy girl. It's funny; you'd swear she runs on pure lightning. Millions of volts surging through her body and making her extremely over-enthusiastic. "I'm back! I got the ice!" Kirin screamed, hopping back over to us. I shook my head and smiled, "You have got to burn off that energy you have. How do you keep all of it? What do you do to get so hyper?" "Oh, Shuyin." Kirin returned, waving the comment off. I guess she thought I was kidding. In actuality, I really wondered just what gave her such life. Whatever it was, I guess it was a pretty good quality to have. You never really saw her down. Even yesterday, when she was peeved at the summoners, she didn't let that bother her all too much. If only I could have had that quality about myself. I probably wouldn't have snapped at Yunalesca or at Trista. Probably could have saved me a lot of trouble from my earlier years, as well. "So what's the plan for today?" Kirin asked. I shrugged and looked at Lenne. "Well, if it's all the same to you guys, I'd like to just go to the Calm Lands and find some fiends to defeat. Perhaps I'll find a new fayth. That would mean a new Aeon to add to my arsenal." Lenne suggested. "Alright. That's fine with me. Although, if you find another Aeon like that Razgoth, I'd rather you not." I replied, recalling the events of Razgoth's first and last summoning. "I agree." Lenne nodded. "Okay, I'll just pretend like I know what you guys are talking about so, yeah, I agree." Kirin chimed in, not ever being told about what happened with the vampire.

"Razgoth is a vampire. I received it when Shuyin and I defeated a crazed wolf fiend. When it became pyreflies, a dark fayth appeared. It was completely black except for two yellow eyes." Lenne recalled, telling Kirin about that incident with the Aeon. "I walked over to it and merged with it, like always, but, summoning this Aeon was a mistake." She continued, "When Razgoth appeared, it wasn't like the other summons I've had. It turned to me and used those yellow eyes to entrance me. I couldn't move. That stare petrified my body, but allowed me to witness its intentions for me." I decided to speak at that point. "Yeah, that stupid Aeon wanted to take a bite out of her. I figured that much. So, when it went in for her neck, I stabbed it in the gut, through the side, with my sword." "So you killed that Aeon, too?" Kirin asked. "Yeah, but not by doing that. I thought I had killed it, but apparently stabbing it didn't do anything." I said in response to her question. "Yes, the creature was only vulnerable to a few attacks. One was decapitation. Also, piercing its heart would've killed it, as well. It was like it was a real vampire." Lenne added. "Aren't they supposed to die from sunlight and fire, too? And doesn't it have to be a stake that pierces its heart?" Kirin asked, "It's just that I'm a big fan of vampire stories so I figured this guy was the same. You guys did say it was like a vampire, right?" "Right, but she did say 'like' a vampire. In any case, the thing smacked me a good ten yards away and went back to Lenne. So, when I got back my footing, I ran at it and tackled it to the ground. Of course, doing that put me in a bad position since it meant that I was within biting distance. Razgoth gave up on Lenne and settled for me. The bite didn't hurt that much, but the sucking out of my blood, that hurt." I said, continuing the story, "Lenne was still in a trance so I was on my own. I had to get the guy off me and it was hard." "What did you do?" Kirin asked me, feeling her neck as if trying to stop the blood flow that I had endured before. "I'm getting to that. It had my arms pinned down and used its weight to keep the rest of me immobilized. All I had were my feet so that's what I used. First, I kneed it in the gut to get some distance between us. Then, since that distance forced its mouth off me, I curled up my legs and pushed the thing into the sky. When it started coming back down, I rolled to the side, took out my sword, and swung it around so that when it was about to hit the ground again, my sword followed and cut off its head." I said, finishing. Kirin wanted to tie up the loose ends so, "So, then Lenne was freed from the spell and called Razgoth back. Meanwhile, you put away your sword and tended to your wounded neck. Am I right?" "Yes, that's about all there is." Lenne answered, smiling at the over-enthusiastic girl.

"Alright, but that doesn't mean that if Lenne gets another summon, it'll turn out to be like Razgoth. I mean she has a lot of other summons, right? You worry too much, Shuyin." Kirin said with a smile. Then she began to ponder about something. "What's the matter?" I asked her. "Oh no, it's just that I was thinking if I had anything to do today. I don't so I'll come along with you guys and help hunt down some fiends." She smiled. "That would be wonderful!" Lenne commented. So that was the plan for the day. We were to go to the Calm Lands and search for fiends that might produce fayth for Lenne to summon.

We hopped into Kirin's hover-glyph and she drove us to the Calm Lands. "So, now what do you guys normally do?" Kirin asked when she put the hover on park. "Well, we usually just start walking around and run into fiends as we go." I said, stretching as I left the vehicle. We started off in a northwestern direction. "So, how long does it take to find a fiend?" Kirin asked. "Don't worry, we'll find some soon enough." Lenne reassured.

Suddenly, a big green wasp, a Ferunas fiend showed up. "See, not long at all." I said, unsheathing my sword. Lenne began to cast Firaga and Kirin took out her daggers. In the meantime, the wasp descended, trying to sting me with the needle on its butt. "Nice try." I said, dodging the blow. Lenne hit the fiend with her spell and it went reeling. This one wasn't strong. The fiend was beaten by one simple spell. "That was fast." Kirin complained as she saw the fiend's body disperse into pyreflies. "Don't worry. We'll find stronger ones. You just have to be patient. It's not like they just pop out when you want them to." I explained. "Oh poopie." She muttered. I had to laugh a little.

We continued walking and reached a patch of land that was riddled with fiends. From what I could see, there were Amphibros Flan, Serpentam, Adamantoise, and Crustama fiends. "Well, ya wanna clear this entire patch?" I asked the two. "Let's go get 'em!" Kirin yelled, charging in without Lenne and me. "Kirin! Wait! You'll get hurt!" Lenne shouted. "Aw, c'mon, Lennie! What could happen?" She chirped. That's when she bumped right into the Crustama's claw. "Ooops." She muttered. I quickly ran in and deflected one of its claws from swiping my friend. "Ease off, crabby!" I exclaimed. That was a corny pun but I figured I'd use it anyway. Lenne caught up to us and began to summon something. Meanwhile, while I was busy taking the crab head-on, Kirin went behind it and jabbed it a few times in the leg joints. Little by little, the fiend got unsteady and toppled to the floor. It had been too preoccupied with me to worry about a girl stabbing its legs. I took the Crustama's awkward position to my advantage and jumped up in the air, holding the sword above me. When I landed, the sword had cut the fiend clean in half. Unfortunately, Kirin's over-zealous stunt attracted a lot of the other fiends in the area and they all came at us.

One of the Amphibros fiends jumped at me and I held my sword to swipe it, but… "Shiva! Blizzara!" Lenne shouted. A moment later, a tremendous wave of cold passed by me and hit the frog, instantly encasing it in ice. I spun around and swung my sword horizontally, cutting the fiend's head right off. Next up were a Serpentam, two Adamantoise, and one more Crustama fiend. First, Lenne ordered Shiva to use Blizzara again. The Aeon froze the crab and damaged the snake a little. Then, Kirin jumped in and poked both of the armored turtles' eyes out with her daggers. I followed suit by slashing the Serpentam across its face. Lastly, Lenne cast Thundaga on all of them and they crumbled to the floor, their bodies disintegrating into pyreflies. None of them were fayth hiding in the form of fiends, though.

"So, how do you know when a fiend is really a fayth?" Kirin asked. "You really don't know. I guess it depends on the level of the fayth. The Ifrit fayth that I uncovered for Lenne came from this black wolf thing that wasn't too hard to beat. However, the Razgoth one, which was also a wolf, was really hard. I had to dodge a few of its swipes before it finally gave me an opening and I gashed it across its stomach." I explained. Kirin thought for a moment, "Well, if Bahamut was that strong, I'm guessing the fiend for that one was really powerful." "You have no idea. When we fought that one, Lenne had to summon Ifrit, Ixion, and Shiva to just weaken it enough to get it to the floor. It was an eagle fiend. She had Ifrit burn its wings, Ixion shock it, and then Shiva finally was able to freeze its talons to the ground. Then, I stepped in and used one of my overdrives. I used my Spin Cut technique. "What's that?" Kirin asked. "It's his overdrive. He just flips in the air and slashes downward with the sword. It isn't one of his more inspired techniques." Lenne mused. "I'll have you know that one took me a while to come up with!" I defended. Lenne just rolled her eyes. "Ya know, Shuyin, it does sound a little lame." Kirin added, aiding Lenne's side. "HEY!" I pouted.

The two girls giggled at me before we were interrupted again. A group of five chocobos had decided to halt our discussion. By the looks of it, they were very territorial. "Time to show 'em what we're made of!" I exclaimed, positioning myself for battle. Kirin decided to have a little fun and jumped on one of the birds. "Kirin! Be careful!" Lenne yelled. She was such a mother-like woman. I chose to try my luck at taming one again. I also leaped onto one of the yellow birds and tried to settle it down. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have that quality that Lenne had. Last time, all she had to do was move up to one of the birds and look at it in her special way. That was all it took to calm it. As for me, I was in for yet another bumpy ride. The thing went crazy on me again. Meanwhile, Kirin was leading the other chocobos around in a circle with the one she was riding on. How do those two do it? Lenne was able to calm it down and ride it smoothly. Kirin was able to parade them around in circles. Why was I the only one clinging onto the bird's neck while it tried desperately to throw me off? It had to be a girl thing. "Hey! How are you doing that?" I asked Kirin while still bouncing around on my ride. "It would probably help if you weren't strangling the poor thing." She replied, riding her chocobo up to me. I decided to ease off on grabbing the bird's neck and wouldn't you know it… it threw me off. "Umph…" I grumbled as I hit the grass. The other chocobos had stopped following Kirin and were looking at me menacingly instead. "Shuyin!" Lenne yelled, running over. She brushed through the crowd of yellow feathers and offered her hand. When I got up, one of the birds pecked me on the head. I guess it was the one I nearly choked to death. "Ugh, I'm sorry!" I shouted, rubbing my head. Lenne giggled and Kirin jumped on me from behind. "Shuyin Shuyin Shuyin. When will you learn? You can't just choke something and expect it to listen to you." She scolded, mocking my strategy of taming chocobos.

The herd moved on after that and so did we. Lenne and Kirin were still giggling at the fact that I was scolded by one of the birds. "Hey! Look over there! It's a Pandalon fiend!" I said, redirecting their attention. Together, we made our way to the area with the bear. It looked at us with disinterest and went back to munching on some twigs. "Guess it doesn't want to fight." Kirin shrugged. "Nah, fiends always wanna fight." I said, moving closer to the panda. Suddenly, it hurled its massive paw at me and knocked me back a few feet. Then, it called over a few of its friends. "Ow…" I mumbled, touching my still wounded chest. It really didn't feel too great having a bear claw smack it. I took out my sword again and decided to use some of my adrenaline to execute another one of my overdrives. This time, I chose to use my Hit and Run technique. After all, that move was useful when there was more than one enemy and this was just the case. I ran up to one of the pandas and swiped it diagonally on the chest with my sword. Then, I moved on and gashed another one in the stomach. I moved from fiend to fiend, stabbing, slashing, gutting, gashing, and cutting those bears to pieces. One by one, they fell to the ground and erupted into a brilliant cloud of pyreflies. "So, Kirin, what do you think of that overdrive?" I asked her. She applauded. "Yes, that's one of his more impressive maneuvers." Lenne mused. "I'll have you know that all of my maneuvers are impressive, m'lady." I joked. When I finished, Kirin gave me that "yeah, sure" look while Lenne gave me the "Shuyin!" look. I laughed and started to move on again.

The three of us were really getting a lot of combat in, but I was sure that Kirin wanted to see a fayth and Lenne bond with that fayth. "Don't feel disappointed, Kirin. Lenne's almost got all the Aeons she needs so finding a fayth isn't going to be easy anymore. The same fayth never appears twice for the same summoner, ya know." I explained. "Well, I still wanted to see one." Kirin replied, pouting a little. She was so cute when she acted immaturely. "I see a few Boulder fiends. Let's go face them!" Lenne suggested. We walked over to the golems and they immediately attacked. I leaped over one of them and kicked a second as I came down. Kirin jumped onto one and grabbed onto its head with her legs. She then started hacking away at the creature with her daggers, but it wasn't really doing too much damage. Meanwhile, Lenne cast Blizzaga on the golem I had jumped over and froze it in place. The golem I had kicked didn't feel a thing, but I did manage to back it up a bit. I quickly did a somersault over the thing and landed behind it, kicking its leg to trip it. I had to roll to my side after that move because it fell backwards and I'd have been a pancake if I didn't move out of the way. Finally, I leaped up and stabbed downwards, my metal embedding itself into the fiend's face. Then, I had to help Kirin, who was still stabbing the golem's head. I could see it was getting a little bored of her attempts and so I ran over to her and pried her off of the thing before it could take a swing at her. Lenne ended up casting Blizzaga on that one, too. That's when Kirin went back to the one she was fighting before and kicked it, crumbling it to icy pieces. "OW!" She cried, having hurt her foot by kicking something that hard. I smiled at her and went on to take out the first golem that Lenne had frozen. I leaped into the air and stomped right through the frozen-over stone hide. "So, what's next?" I asked.

We chose to keep moving. It had already been a few hours and by my guess, it was approaching noon. "Do you think we should maybe take a break now? I mean it's almost lunch time." I stated. "Yea, I'm a little hungry." Kirin admitted. "Then let's!" Lenne chimed in, opening a bag she had brought with her. She laid all of the contents on a rock that was jutting out from the grass and Kirin immediately grabbed a few brownies from the pile. That girl needed to stay away from sugar. In about an hour, she'd be bouncing all around those fiends. That thought made me smile a little as I reached for a sandwich and handed it to Lenne. Then, I took one for myself and together, we munched on the goodies. Lenne's food always tasted good. She was quite the cook. Well, technically, the sandwich I was eating didn't require cooking, but still, those brownies Kirin was gobbling down did and probably tasted great. "These brownies are awesome!" Kirin shouted. See. "I wonder if there are any more Aeons left for me to find." Lenne said. "I don't know. Maybe you've got them all. You do have a lot already." I suggested, taking another bite out of my sandwich. "Yea, maybe. Something just tells me that I am missing at least one more." She said, her voice drifting. Kirin was too busy munching on her brownies to take part in the conversation, but I'm sure she would have wanted to say something like, "Well, we won't know that until we go out there and beat all of those fiends!" I chuckled to myself thinking about that.

In about an hour, we had finished and were back on our feet again. I stretched a little, yawned, and waited to see if either of the girls would get inspired to go a certain direction. "I don't know, but something is telling me to go there." Lenne muttered, pointing to a tree. I was confused. "You're getting a feeling from a tree?" Lenne shook her head. "No, it's not from the tree. It's from around that area with that tree." She corrected. "Then, let's stop talking about a tree and go kick some butt!" Kirin groaned, pulling at my arm and pushing Lenne's back. "Okay, okay! We're going!" I said, following the direction my arm was being tugged. We walked up to the tree and I climbed onto a few of the roots. "Well, I don't see anything around here." I muttered to my friends. Kirin started inspecting the tree from branch to branch. She looked under just about all the leaves as if a fiend that small would turn out to be a fayth. "Kirin, I doubt a worm fiend is gonna get Lenne a summon." I joked. She didn't pay attention. Meanwhile, Lenne closed her eyes and felt the breeze. That was her feeling for something. I had no idea what she was feeling for or how she was doing it, but whatever she was doing, it worked in the past. I looked back to Kirin. "C'mon, Kirin. You aren't gonna find a super fiend by turning over those leaves." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled. "What was that?" The two of us asked, looking up. "I think it's what I've been sensing." Lenne answered, opening her eyes. From the distance, something was coming. The ground trembled more and more, but nothing could be seen. Finally, after the tremors got louder and louder still, they just stopped. "What happened?" I asked. "I don't know, but I feel its presence. It's here, but I don't know where." Lenne stated, putting a finger to her chin. Kirin was equally confused and demonstrated it by scratching her cheek. "Well, I don't see…" I started, but couldn't finish. Something had swatted me back a few yards. "SHUYIN!" The two of them screamed. Whatever it was, it was still invisible. We were up against something powerful that we couldn't see.

"I knew it was out there!" Lenne shouted, starting a summon. I got back to my feet and ran back to them. Kirin, in the meantime, dug around in a pouch and took out a few black orbs. "What are those?" I asked her. "Watch and see!" She said hurling the orbs at the air. They hit something and exploded, covering the area in front of us with a black powder. Some of the powder settled to the ground, but some of it settled in mid-air, revealing part of the creature that we were up against. "Kinok! Quake Burst!" Lenne commanded the lizard she had summoned. The Aeon leaped up and pounded the ground with its tail. The earth cracked up to the creature and made it fall. I followed up by taking my sword out and slashing at one of the powdered areas. I heard a howl of pain so I knew I did some damage. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't enough. The thing cast Firaga on me and sent me flying back again. However, this time, it left me boiling with fury. I got back to my feet and ran at it again. Kirin was also on the attack. She jumped on part of the powdered area of the creature and started stabbing it. Lenne was attacking with her spells, casting Waterga on another of the visible areas. Her goal was most likely to figure out which element it was weaker to. She had Kinok attack physically to keep the thing away from her while she performed her spells. I leaped onto the Aeon's back and pushed off it to land where I thought the thing's head was. Steadying myself on it, I stabbed downward, hoping that it would hurt it sufficiently enough to uncloak it. I was in luck. Several pyreflies flew out of the creature and its form was uncovered. It looked like a bull cross scorpion thing, which was very intimidating, but I had guessed right about stabbing it in the head so it didn't look that frightening anymore. However, it still had some fight left in it as it used its scorpion tail to strike me in the back. I saw that one coming and jumped up, letting the beast hit itself with its own stinger. Kirin, got off the leg that she had been on and climbed up the face of the bull, jabbing its eyes out with her daggers. Lenne cast Blizzaga on it, aiming the spell on the part of its head where the stinger was still connected. It was frozen in place, which meant that it would continually be hurting itself while the three of us attacked.

I finally got enough stamina in me to use my strongest overdrive at the time, Force Rain. It was the move I had used to Bahamut's MegaFlare from the day before. I swung my sword around and collected energy from the surroundings. Once I had gathered enough energy, Kirin leaped off from the beast's head where she had still been stabbing mercilessly and gave me the heads up to shoot. I pointed my blade directly at the creature and fired off the energy. The beam sped towards it and blasted it apart. It fell to the ground and dispersed into pyreflies.

"Yay!" Kirin celebrated, jumping on Lenne in her ecstasy. I smiled at them both and put a hand into my hair. Then I thought for a second. If that fiend was that powerful, shouldn't it have been a fayth? I knew that not every strong fiend produced a fayth, but I thought we had earned it. I looked back at the dispersing pyreflies and found something else to wonder about. The pyreflies weren't dissipating. They just floated there. I didn't know what they were doing. "Uh, Lenne? Why aren't those pyreflies disappearing?" I asked. "OH!" She answered, showing me that she was as surprised as I was.

Then it became clear. Those pyreflies weren't moving off in separate directions because the body they had formed before wasn't defeated yet. They grouped back together and formed into something even more menacing than the bull scorpion thing from before…


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Taming of a Vampire  
  
The fiend was now a crab-clawed, centaur/griffin thing. It had horse legs, hawk wings, crab claws, and still had its scorpion tail. "Oh, great." I said, pulling my sword back up in a defensive position. Kirin also got into a good fighting position. All the beast did was roar and squash Kinok under its feet. "Kinok!" Lenne yelled, watching the pyreflies from her summon return to her. "Oh, great." I repeated then redirected my attention to the thing.  
  
I lunged at it and swung my sword to perhaps slice it in half. That didn't work as it simply stuck out a crab claw and blocked the attack. Kirin attacked next, jumping onto that same claw and pushing off to get herself onto the centaur's back. Then, to get a secure grip on the creature, she embedded her daggers into its flesh and held on tight. The thing kept trying to grab her with its pincers and stamping around to shake her off, but she was holding on. I stepped in to help while Lenne summoned Ifrit. I kept swiping the fiend with my sword to distract it from getting Kirin off it. Lenne had Ifrit cast both of its fire attacks on it as well and also, used the Aeon's overdrive, Hell Fire. All of that proved useless as I was batted away by a claw and Ifrit was crushed underneath a hoof. Kirin soon followed when her strength finally gave out and she fell to the ground, landing on her butt. "Kirin!" I shouted, running up to her and grabbing her body away from the fiend just before it could stomp on her, too, "Are you alright?" She nodded and I let her go to take another swipe at the creature. Lenne had summoned Ixion at that point and had it use its various electrical attacks to stun the beast into submission. That didn't work. I ran at it, leaped from Ixion's shoulder, charged my sword with one of its currents, and slashed downward on the fiend. The electricity carried through my strike very nicely, but that still didn't end the battle. It kicked me back with one of its hooves and then it clutched Ixion in one of those claws, crushing it in a vice-grip. "This is not working." I muttered, standing up again. My wound stung from being kicked in the chest by a horse's hoof, but I still had enough left in me to continue.  
  
I decided to take another approach. I ran around in a circle, poking it every now and then to keep it on its toes. Lenne went on to summon Valefor. It was her weakest Aeon, but I guess she was saving her stronger summons for later, as a trump card. "Valefor, use Sonic Wings!" Lenne ordered. The Aeon began flapping its wings faster and harder, sending strong gusts at the fiend. It didn't even flinch. All it did was try to swipe at me with a claw and then fly up to the Aeon and bat it down with the other claw. Valefor went tumbling down to the ground and was also crushed under the fiend's weight as it landed. I took the opportunity of its landing and jumped onto its horned head. I grabbed one horn and stabbed down with my sword. The blade pierced its skull and went out its throat as it roared in agony. I started twisting the saber around and around, trying to get the creature to its knees at the very least. It wasn't a successful ploy. The fiend flew up, thrashing around in the sky to get rid of its unwanted passenger. I held tightly onto the hilt of my sword and its horn to keep myself from being thrown, but I wasn't going to last much longer.  
  
Suddenly, a burst of ice hit the creature in its side, causing it to plummet back to the ground. I leaped off, yanking my sword out from the side of its mouth like I had done with Trista's Bahamut. It cried out in pain and collapsed onto the ground.  
  
"So, that's that." I said. "I'm not so sure Shuyin." Kirin replied, yelping at the sight of the fiend. It was getting up again, still not defeated. Lenne had Shiva try to freeze it, but the goddess of ice got too close and was caught by one of the claws. Giving a shriek of pain, it was destroyed, as well. "Oh, no! That's almost all my Aeons! I only have Odin and Bahamut left!" Lenne yelled. "Use them! We haven't got any other choice!" I told her. She nodded, summoning Odin. The fiend didn't wait any longer and rushed into Odin as he appeared, toppling the knight to the ground. Odin managed to stagger back to his feet, but only for a little while as that centaur rammed its horned head into him. "Oh that's just perfect. Now, Odin's gone too." I muttered sarcastically. Lenne backed away slowly and I realized why. The beast was eyeing her. I had to distract it. Quickly, I ran up to it and stabbed it in the gut, pulling the sword upwards. It screamed in pain from my assault, but smacked me with its claws anyway. I held strong. I let the claws hit. I was allowing Lenne the time she needed to summon the ultimate Aeon. Bahamut couldn't be defeated, right? I managed to, but that was just Trista's Bahamut and it wasn't really a well-trained one.  
  
Lenne quickly summoned the dragon and cast Curaga on me to give me some of my fading health back. Pummeling me wasn't a smart idea. The fiend had to deal with Bahamut because of attacking me. "Too bad. You concentrated on the wrong target!" I mocked the fiend. It seemed unswayed by the presence of the dragon, but I figured that Bahamut could easily handle it. "Bahamut! MegaFlare!" Lenne commanded. Bahamut planted itself onto the ground and absorbed the surrounding energies with its mouth. While it took charged, I helped keep the fiend from stopping it by slashing it over and over in every part of its body to annoy it. The ploy worked as it kept trying to hit me again and again. Kirin was also helping, jabbing it every now and then when it was distracted by me. We had the thing spinning around in circles by the time Bahamut was ready to fire. The stream sped toward the fiend and hit it head-on, roasting the poor sucker... or so I thought.  
  
After the blast was finished and the smoke had cleared, the only damage done to the creature was a large hole in its right claw. All that Bahamut did to it was hurt its hand? How was that possible? Bahamut was the strongest of all the Aeons, right? I didn't have too much time to think about that as it hurled its other claw at my head. Instinctively, I performed a back flip and got away from its strike, just as Kirin jumped on it again, trying to blind it by poking it in the eyes. The beast roared in anger and threw her off it. "Kirin!" I yelled, jumping to catch her. When I had her in my arms, she grabbed onto my shirt tightly. She must have been scared to death with a thing like that grabbing her. The last time it grabbed something, it was Ixion and it was crushed. "It's okay, Kirin. You're safe, now." I told her.  
  
When I landed, I gently placed her on the ground before going back to fight. If Bahamut's strongest attack wasn't enough to kill it, we were in trouble. By that time, the dragon Aeon had unanchored itself from the ground and was in flight once more. Both of the monsters traded blows in the air and it seemed like it would be a tie until the griffin-centaur managed to swipe Bahamut's wing causing it to fall to the ground. Dust spread everywhere when the giant beast hit and visibility was completely blocked.  
  
After the dust settled, I saw that Bahamut was under the creature and the two had their arms clasped with the other. Both were immobilized. This was my chance. While it was busy dealing with Lenne's Aeon, I'd be able to hack away at it. I ran up to its scorpion tail and started slashing away, the creature too busy to realize what I was doing. After a while, I began to make progress. The consecutive hits I was landing developed into a substantial gash across the width of its tail. It was working. If only Bahamut could have distracted it longer, I might have actually cut it right off. However, the beast got an idea. It used its tail and impaled it into Bahamut's neck, then gored it on its horns. That was enough to tear my favorite Aeon into three pieces. As the strongest Aeon died, we suddenly found ourselves without any more options. "Now what? We just lost Bahamut! What else can we do? Nothing seems to have any drastic effect on this thing!" I shouted to Lenne, beginning to lose hope. "I don't know. It seems hopeless. This creature is just too powerful." She replied. Kirin had already given up, seeing as how she was still lying on the ground from when I left her. She was too scared, Lenne didn't know what to do, and all of our attacks were doing nearly nothing to the thing. What could we do?  
  
An idea hit me, but I wished it hadn't. Lenne still had one more Aeon left. However, I wasn't sure we should ever try something like that. I decided to ignore it even if it might have worked. The fact was that it was just too risky to attempt. I lunged at the fiend again, slashing at it over and over. I guess I was hoping for a miracle. Too bad, miracles come at a price. Over and over, I was thrown back and Lenne various spells did nothing. She hadn't anything left, I hadn't anything left, and Kirin was still unable to fight. We had no hope remaining except...  
  
"Lenne..." I began, "I know it's a big risk, but I don't see anyway around it anymore. This thing just won't settle down and die. We can't kill it on our own and we only have one other card to play..." Lenne nodded. She knew what I was talking about. "I'll summon Razgoth." She stated, beginning the summon. I ran back into combat. With my sword held out in front of me, I struck over and over, not slowing down for a second. Maybe we had to use the vampire, but maybe we didn't. If I could do enough damage and get enough into me to use my Force Rain or something else, maybe the Aeon wouldn't be necessary. I defeated a summoner before. I beat Lord Zaon with three huge gash wounds decorating my chest. What could stop me from winning this time? Finally, I saw an improvement. The claw that Bahamut had punctured a hole into before was deteriorating. With each successful hit by my blade, more of the claw was falling off. If I could take that out and finish what I started with the tail, there was a chance the tide of this battle would turn around. I struck harder and more fiercely. I didn't want Lenne to have to go through what happened the last time that vampire was out. She could've died. At last, I tore through the claw as I saw its pieces litter the floor. Exhausted as I was, this was giving me more confidence.  
  
I glanced back at Lenne and realized that Razgoth was summoned. Again it was entrancing her. Again it was trying to drain the life out of her. I was so stupid! What could have made me think that stupid thing would obey this time? Then, my mind thought up a plan. What if I forced the Aeon to fight on our side? Any offense would provoke this monster to counter, right? I baited the vampire. While, making sure to dodge the strikes by the beast, I whistled over to Razgoth and pointed at my neck, tapping the same place it had bitten me before. As the fiend swung the other claw at me, I jumped on it, flipped forward and landed right in front of Razgoth. "Remember me? Remember this?" I said, plunging my blade into its side again. It growled in fury, swiping at me with its hand. My plan was working. I'd let the vampire duke it out with the fiend soon enough. Backing away, I led the vampire closer and closer to the creature and leaped up in the air just in time to let Razgoth be hit by the claw. The Aeon went tumbling to my right as I landed back on the ground, running to it again. As Razgoth stood, I noticed that it wasn't focused on me anymore. It wanted revenge on the massive enemy behind me. All I had to do was stand in place and let the oncoming beast take a swing at me. The vampire wouldn't let anything happen to me. That would be allowing its enemy the satisfaction of taking me out and it couldn't let that happen. When the claw came at me again, Razgoth caught it and started cracking it with its hands. After chopping off the other claw, the creature lost its full power. Without the other claw to aid it, the second was vulnerable. Razgoth began to dig deep holes into it and I chose to help out, as well. With my sword, I struck every area that seemed to be weakening. By the time the fiend realized to use its tail, we had already rendered the claw useless.  
  
Razgoth could handle it from there. I needed to check up on Lenne. "Are you okay?" I asked, running to where she knelt. The trance was broken from Razgoth's distraction by the beast. "Yes, I'm fine. How did you get it to help?" Lenne asked, obviously unaware of my actions. "It was simple. I had the fiend knock some sense into it." I joked. "Seriously, Shuyin. What did you do?" Lenne asked, not realizing that, though I was joking, that was what I had done. "I turned them against each other. First, I got that creature to swing a claw at me. Then I dodged it and let it hit Razgoth. It made it forget all about me." I said. I picked Lenne back onto her feet. "Well, I think we should go help it. Look!" She suggested, pointing to where the two behemoths were brawling. Razgoth was underneath the creature, trying to keep its hoof from stomping on it. "Let's get back in there." I said and then ran over to Kirin, "That means you, too!" I grabbed her and picked her up. She looked at me in a daze. "Oh, c'mon, Kirin! Get over it! It grabbed you and threw you. Now it doesn't even have those claws anymore. We're winning. Let's get in there and finish this!" I pushed. "Shu...yin..." She replied. "C'MON! Kirin! What happened to 'let's go kick some butt'?" I pushed her some more. "You're right! What am I so afraid of? I'm still alive, right? Let's go kick some ugly crabby, horsy, birdie butt!" She exclaimed. She charged towards the fiend with a "battle cry," and started stabbing it and gashing it again. I shook my head and followed. We had successfully gotten Razgoth out from under the beast and it looked at me with a new expression. It no longer saw me as food or an adversary. It looked at me as an ally. That's what we were. Aeons and humans were allies in the fight against the darkness. It was then that I understood what Yu Yevon was saying. I didn't have to worry about Lenne because she and the Aeons she summoned were partners and they'd always protect one another. This time, it was to protect each other from that fiend.  
  
We all charged it, Kirin ramming her daggers into its side, Razgoth biting its neck, Lenne casting her spells, and me with a big slash on its tail. Finally, I severed it and pretty much made the thing defenseless. All it had left were its horns and with Razgoth on its head, sucking away blood, they were rendered useless, as well. It was then that I gained enough stamina to perform the Force Rain. I jumped back a bit, swung my sword around in the air and started charging it up. The beast must have noticed the large concentration of energy building up in the distance, because it began to frantically struggle to get the Aeon off it. It rammed its head into the ground and pinned Razgoth to it, pushing as hard as possible to flatten it. However, as with my fight against the vampire, it wasn't going to fall unless it was stabbed in the heart or decapitated. I continued to charge as the creature became even more desperate. Within Razgoth still on it, it flew up into the air, shaking its head madly. At last, it managed to loosen the vampire's grip on its face and gored it in the neck, severing its head from its body. Razgoth's two parts plummeted from the sky and dispersed into pyreflies before they hit the ground.  
  
Free from the Aeon's grasp, the beast dove at me, trying to stop me from executing my overdrive. It got to me too late, though, as the sword finished powering up and I unleashed its full fury upon my foe. At such a close range, the creature was ripped apart by the beam, no claws left to shield it from the blast. After I was finished, the body of the fiend fell limp to the floor, erupting into pyreflies. Those little creatures, again, didn't disperse. I feared they would reform into yet another beast, but I was in luck.  
  
The pyreflies formed into a woman dressed in white. Surrounding her was a brilliant light. "A fayth!" Lenne and I yelled at the same time. "That's a fayth?" Kirin asked. "Yea, that's a fayth alright. So you finally got what you wanted." I answered. Kirin stared at the woman as she walked up to Lenne. "You have come a long way, m'lady." She told her, "And you have worthy friends." The fayth smiled over at Kirin and me before continuing, "Times are progressing, lives renewing. Let my light hold you forever." I watched at the woman became pyreflies yet again, circling around my Lenne, lifting her upward, and entering her heart. They would join the rest of her allies, Lenne's summons. "So, you've got yet another Aeon. I wonder what this one will be." I said to her as she descended back to the ground. "Let's have a look!" She suggested, performing the summoning again. The Aeon that was called forth looked amazing. It was an angel, pure and simple, and she wore Yunalesca-like garments in the color white. Armed with a bow and daggers strapped to her legs, the seraph had plenty of potentially fatal powers hiding behind the innocent shroud. "So, what do you call yourself?" I asked her. "I am Elumina! I will protect Lady Lenne and all those she holds dear to her heart." She replied. "Wow, this is so awesome!" Kirin chirped, jumping up and down while clapping. Lenne looked at her newest creation, "Why did you produce such a horrifying fiend? You look in no way similar to that monstrosity that you created to be your shell." "I know. I had to be sure that you were a worthy summoner to follow and aid. Defeating the chimera beast relinquished all doubts I had about your capabilities." Elumina responded. "It wasn't just me. I wouldn't have survived the attack without Shuyin and Kirin there." Lenne offered, waving her hand over to us. "They are your allies. The worthiness of a summoner is not only found solely through the summoner's own skills, but rather the skills of that summoner and her choice in friends. You are pure of heart and that is why I am on your side." The Aeon refuted. "Yea, Lennie! You're the greatest summoner that I've ever known!" Kirin chimed in. "Lennie?" I asked. She had said the same thing before, "Trying out a new nickname for her?" "Uh huh! Did ya like it?" Kirin asked. "I think it's just wonderful, Kirin. Thank you." Lenne replied. "Yea, it sounds like something you'd say, anyway." I mused. "Humph!" She pouted, making all of us laugh.  
  
"So what can you do, Elumina?" I asked the summon. "I am able to perform any of the spells that the summoner can. I primarily use my archery in combat, however, I am also able to use these daggers as another resort." She said, pointing to the weapons hooked to straps on her legs, "Also, I have the ability to manipulate the direction of light in order to shield my friends from the enemy." "Oh, so that's how you were invisible before." I said. "Yes. I was testing to see if you were able to feel my presence and you did. The three of you are all very capable warriors." She stated. "Well, I'll call that move the Celestial Shroud." I said. "Celestial Shroud it is!" Lenne agreed. "Very well. I am also capable of using an intense concentration of light to efface my opponents. However, I am only capable of using that maneuver when I have enough energy." Elumina continued. "So that's your overdrive! Let's see. What can we name it? How 'bout... Force Flare!" Kirin exclaimed, "It sounds a lot like Bahamut's MegaFlare, but also like Shuyin's Force Rain." "Uh... I dunno about that. Come up with something else!" I suggested. "Uh, how about MegaRain?!" She asked. "That sounds strange." Lenne said. "Okay then! Nova Burst!" Kirin yelled. "Now that's a name." I approved, nodding in a serious manner. Kirin giggled and punched me in the chest playfully, "You're always picking on me!" Again, that didn't feed too good. Lenne laughed a little and said, "Well, it's settled. Elumina, your overdrive is Nova Burst!" "Acknowledged." She stated simply, her voice completely monotonous. Aeons, they're always so serious.  
  
We walked on and found a few more fiends. "So, Elumina, care to show us a little demonstration of your might?" I asked. "Understood. I shall eradicate these fiends." She stated plainly, flying over to them. With one shot of her arrows, the fiends were beaten. The pyreflies floated from their bodies and embarked on a journey to the Farplane. "Ugh, we didn't even get to see anything." Kirin pouted. We moved on and saw a group of salamander fiends. "Elumina, use your overdrive." Lenne suggested. "Very well. I believe I have enough energy to use that technique." She said. Elumina put her hands over her head and charged the air in between. A white glow formed into a gigantic ball of energy and grew even more. When it seemed like it would engulf our entire area, beams shot out of it in all directions, some striking the fiends. After that attack, all that was left of them was a big scorch mark in the dirt. "Now that's a demonstration." I said.  
  
"We should probably head home now, right?" Kirin asked. "Yes, we probably should be going. It has been quite a long day." Lenne agreed. "Then, let's get going!" I stated, walking off in the direction I knew we had left the hover in. Lenne recalled Elumina and the two women caught up to me. Together, we found Kirin's vehicle and went home. Home as in Kirin's house, anyway.  
  
When we got there, Kirin ran to take a shower. I plopped myself down on the couch and groaned at my exhaustion. Meanwhile, Lenne sat next to me and stroked my hair. "Lenne..." I whispered. "Shh... Rest. You've been through a lot." She said. "So have you." I added. She laughed slightly and said, "You did more running and jumping and fighting today than either of us." "That's because I only have my sword and physical fighting skills. You can cast spells. They take a lot out of ya, too, right?" I suggested. "Well, casting Firaga isn't as difficult as some of your moves." She mused.  
  
After a little while, I heard Kirin coming back downstairs, humming a familiar tune. "You really like that song, huh?" I mumbled to her. "Yup, that one is my favorite of all of Lenne's hits!" Kirin chirped, patting me on my butt. "Aw, cut that out." I said, getting back onto my feet, "You only like that song because it was the one you were listening to before that game when you scored for the first time." "That's not completely true, but that's not important right now. We should get some sleep. I know it's early, but I'm pooped. I think we should just turn in now." She said. "Hey, no complaints here. I'm all for going to bed at, what time is it, 8! Wow, it actually is later than I expected. Well, now I really have no problem getting to bed." I said.  
  
This day was a tiresome day. I nearly fell asleep while I was in the shower. The only thing that kept me on my feet was Kirin and Lenne's voices down the hall. Kirin was trying to get Lenne to get in on a duet with her. I still have no clue where she puts that energy of hers. I finished my shower and brushed my teeth. As soon as I left the bathroom, Kirin jumped on me and said, "Goodnight, Shuyin," hopping back off to get into her room. Lenne smiled at me, "Goodnight, Shuyin." "Goodnight." I replied, heading off to my room and falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. 


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Bizarre Encounters  
  
I woke up and stayed in bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling. Yesterday had been extremely eventful, but I still never figured out that dream or the other one. I had to figure out what those dreams meant. There had to be something behind them.  
  
"Why do you always wake up so early?" Kirin yelled at me. She had come in to wake me only to find disappointment. "Sorry, Kirin. Guess I just can't wait for a wake-up call." I told her while shrugging. "Oh, poopie!" She pouted. "Kirin, stop it with the 'poopies.'" I said. "So anyway, wanna go kick some more fiend butt? I mean I've really got nothing better to do." She asked. "Well, I guess if Lenne wants to..." I started. "I'm not up for it. Yesterday was exciting enough. I'd like to take a break." Lenne stated, walking in. "In that case, I've got somewhere I'd like to check out." I said. The reaction was expectable. "Where?" They asked simultaneously. My only response to them was, "Bevelle..."  
  
I got ready, said my goodbyes, and then I was off. I walked back to my place and got into my hover. I was pretty sure Lenne and Kirin didn't understand why I'd leave so abruptly, but I just had to find out why I had those two dreams. It didn't make any sense. However, since one thing had remained constant in both dreams, I figured that was the key to solving the meaning behind them. That thing was Areth. He had been the one that shot me in my first dream. He was the one who halted me from getting to Lenne and that led to my getting shot again in the second. It had to have something to do with him. Ever since that blitzball game we had, I've noticed strange things about him. That smirk he gave me right after that kept up in the dreams, it had to be something. I wondered if he purposely sent me those dreams. However, I couldn't even begin to explain how that was possible. I decided that I'd just let the answers come directly from his mouth.  
  
When I got to Bevelle, the people were all tense, as with the last time I had seen them. Just like all the previous visits before, none of the citizens paid any mind to my presence, but the looks in their faces told me that something was off. I wandered around, hoping to find Areth talking a stroll. Unfortunately, Bevelle was a rather massive city and the only thing I really knew about Areth was that he was on the official city blitz team. That meant that the only place I knew to find him was at the Bevelle stadium. If he wasn't there, I'd probably never find him.  
  
Getting to the stadium wasn't too difficult. I had played in Bevelle before so I knew where it was. My only problem was dodging the crowd of edgy people. When I got to the stadium, to my good fortune, the door was unlocked. The stadium was open, which meant that Areth, hopefully, was in there training. I walked to the main dome. The Sphere Pool wasn't up, which told me that I was wrong. Areth wasn't around. How would I find him if he wasn't in the only location in Bevelle I knew to look for him at?  
  
Suddenly, as if to lift my spirits, the floor in the center of the dome opened up and the pool was brought forth. I was pleased at the sight. If luck was with me, it was Areth who activated it. I waited beside the pool patiently waiting for whomever it was that wanted to train.  
  
Unfortunately for me, the blitzer that arrived wasn't the blitzer I wanted to see. Instead, the guy that I saw approaching me had black hair to Areth's brown, tanned skin like mine, and he wore shades to cover up his eyes. His hair was pulled back a bit though, which was still Areth-like. "You're Tidus, right?" He asked as he got to where I was leaning. "Yea, how'd you know?" I replied, asking a question of my own. He snickered a bit before saying, "Bro, Areth's obsessed with you. That's how I know. He won't shut up about you." I was taken aback a bit. "He is? He does? Why do you think he is?" "Look Tidus, Areth has been talking about beating you since the first championship you won for the Abes." The guy responded. I thought for a moment and then decided to delve deeper into this bit of news, asking, "You mean the one against the Goers? Is that why he used the Jecht Shot in our game?" "Yea, the one with the Goers. He went to that game. When he saw you do your father's move, he came home furious. He's always believed that that technique was a cheap shot. He used it in our game just to mock you and give you a taste of your own invincible move." He explained. "And then I blocked it. I guess that musta sent him over the top." I added. "No kidding. He hasn't been the same for a while now. By the way, the name's Kai." He said, extending his hand and also lightening the mood of the conversation through proper introduction. "Nice to meet you, Kai." I said shaking his hand, "Glad to finally have a name to identify the body with." I laughed a little and he smiled back. I decided to find out a few answers from this Jowile whom I had befriended. I asked him, "That look you guys gave me after the game..." "I didn't. They did." Kai defended, cutting me off in the process. "Even so, what was that about?" I said to finish my question. "I'm sorry Tidus, I'm Areth's best friend and..." He started to say, but I cut him off. I knew what he was gonna say anyway. "And he's sworn you to secrecy." "No, it's not like that. I'm his best friend, but he's changed. He's not been the same since that game. I didn't know what could have gotten into him, but he's not his old cheerful self anymore. But... I'm sure Areth has got something in mind for you..." Kai elaborated, giving me a warning not too far from my dreams. Areth was the one that killed me in both those dreams after all. If Kai was telling me the truth, Areth might just be capable of murder. I was left with a decision. Should I still go and talk to Areth? Or, should I head home and devise a plan to keep myself and Lenne alive? Kai seemed to be telling me the truth and he did look terrified about his friend's transformation. I shook my mind of any doubt and asked where I could find Areth. Kai stared at me with wide eyes, saying, "Are you insane? Didn't you hear what I said? He's gonna tear your heart right out if he sees you!" He finished with a gasp and I continued with, "No, I'm not insane. I just need to talk to him. So I ask you again, where can I find Areth?" I needed to confront my future murderer. I needed to see just how crazy he had become and if that meant he could be capable of killing Lenne like his did in my first dream. I couldn't let that happen. Besides, if he was going to just tear out my heart when I saw him, I'd still have my sword to protect me. If Areth wanted my heart, he'd have to work for it. Kai shook his head, but chose to help me, telling me that, "Areth's probably gonna be at home or at the P.T.N. Here, I'll give you the addresses and point you in the right direction." I took the addresses after he was finished putting them on a sheet of autograph paper, thanked my new friend, and left to find Areth. "Be careful alright?" Kai called out, waving goodbye. I gave him a reassuring smile and kept going on my way.  
  
I wondered just how unstable Areth was. To think, he'd been angry with me all these years. I guess it was my fault that he's the way Kai described him to be. If I hadn't acted so cocky in my games in order to keep up that Tidus personality of mine, he wouldn't have had a reason to hate me. Tidus was everything that I didn't want to be. Creating him was to mock all those people who never paid any mind to me until I became the super blitzer. In a way, I made two lives for myself. One was that of Tidus the cocky, sex-loving blitz star. The other was just me, Shuyin, the outcast who's still trying to discover himself. I didn't care about my pride, my honor, or anything else. That was Tidus... I hate Tidus...  
  
I continued on, getting closer to Areth's home. As I walked, I had to squeeze through the citizens that had added to the previous crowd. Again, they all seemed extremely tense. It was like a bomb was coming and they were all too late to catch the last hover-glide out and were awaiting their doom. Brushing past one of them would provoke a gasp that would domino into several panicked yelps until they realized that it was only me trying to get through. Then, they'd give me dirty looks while I tried to apologize, usually ending up with me bumping into someone else and the rest would be complete chaos. Oh what a headache that was. What could possibly have all these people so shaken, I wondered. What was the big secret?  
  
At long last, I reached Areth's house. It was just as big as mine only, it seemed a little too golden and far too over-decorated. This guy was extravagant and he really knew how to use his obscene amount of money. I rang his doorbell and waited. Hopefully, this wasn't a bad idea. From what Kai told me about his status, the guy was off his rocker. However, I needed to understand my dreams and, seeing how he was in both, he'd be able to help, even if not directly.  
  
After waiting for a few minutes and ringing his bell around three more times, I decided that he wasn't home and instead, was at the other place Kai had told me to look. I headed off... back into that annoying crowd of easily excitable people. I rolled my eyes at the thought of having to go through that again. Somewhere in the middle of my journey, I just had to stop. I quickly made my way to a small alley and took a breather. "Man that's rough. Wonder what's got these people so chilled. You'd never find that kind of attitude in Zanarkand." I muttered to myself. After a couple of minutes, I was ready to start again. "Tidus?" A voice called to me from behind, putting a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw a somewhat familiar face. Green hair, yellow eyes, and fairly dark skin, along with a carefree grin greeted me as I tried to identify the person. "Hey, you're Jurama's friend, right?" I asked. "Yea, it's me, Damusa. I thought it was you. So, whatcha doin' here in Bevelle?" He asked. "Oh, I'm just trying to find someone." I replied vaguely. "Oh? Who? Maybe I can help?" Damusa offered. "Well, unless you know an Areth, star blitzer of the Bevelle Jowiles, I don't think you'd be able to." I said with a slight bit of sarcasm evident in my voice. My friend shook his head, saying, "Sorry man, I don't really know much about blitzball." "That's okay. I..." I started to say. "No wait a second, Tidus. I might not know blitzball, but I can tell faces. Tell me what this Areth looks like." He said, truly wanting to help.  
  
Memories from those dreams popped into my head. Seeing Areth's horrific smirk, that evil grin, made me shake ever so slightly. I shook my mind of that specific part of Areth's face and described the blitzer to Damusa, enlisting the aid of a friend. "Areth's got brown hair and when it's wet, it looks like it's been gelled back. He's got red eyes and his skin is kinda pale." I illustrated. "Well then, why do you only know his hairstyle when his hair is wet?" He asked me. "You see, the only time I really saw his hair was at the championship game a while back." I admitted. That other time when I saw him just outside Bevelle, he was wearing a bandana that covered his hair. And aside from that, the only times I 'saw' Areth were in those two dreams. In those dreams, his hair was spiked slightly at two points on either side of his head. However, dreams are inaccurate so I didn't want to give him false information. "Alright then. I'll seek him out for ya." Damusa replied with a smile, regaining my attention. "Thanks, Damusa." I replied before we both headed back into the crowd.  
  
Together, we'd be able to find Areth much quicker. Although, that would only come in handy if Areth wasn't at the P.T.N. Getting to that place proved rather arduous, though. The two of us got lost about five different times. In such a psychotic mass, it got really difficult to push our way through and stay on the right course. Also, it wasn't fun to realize you've gone the wrong way and have to push right back out of that crowd. At long last, we reached the building. "Hey, isn't that the guy you're lookin' for?" Damusa asked, pointing to a guy with brown hair, pale skin, and wearing a pair of shades. "I think you might be right. I'll go see." I responded, making my way over to who, hopefully, was Areth. The man looked up at me and grinned, a grin that was similar yet different from the previous. "Tidus..." He sneered, letting his voice drift as he pushed off the wall and walked over to me. "Areth?" I said with a questioning tone. "Nope. Sorry. Better luck next time, eh?" He replied, brushing past me. I didn't let him get too far. Roughly, I grasped his arm. "Don't piss me off alright? Who are you if you aren't Areth?" I growled at the look-a-like. This guy was the decoy from the championship. "Tidus, don't worry who I am. Worry what my people here in Bevelle will do to you if you try anything here." He stated with another sneer. I smirked at him, giving him a confused look to replace that stupid grin. Before he could ask me what I was smiling about, a fist tore through the air and landed itself on the guy's cheek. Another hand grabbed the collar of his shirt before he could properly deal with the impact. "Had enough? Now tell me who you are... and also where I can find Areth." I roared, gripping the collar tighter and threatening to make another attack. The maneuver re-injured my chest, but at that point, I didn't really care. I wanted answers and if I had to beat this guy senseless to do it, I would. "I'm not gonna tell you anything." He choked out, following his words by spitting in my face. That did it. Of course, I know how much of a bad temper I had, so I knew I was gonna put him in the hospital. The unfortunate thing was that he didn't realize it.  
  
Over and over, I smacked him in the face and kneed him in the gut, never letting go of that collar. Because of that, he wasn't allowed to fall or to even take in the hits I was landing. Finally, after I had decided that I pummeled him enough, I let go of the collar... and let him fall to the floor, thus being a good guy? Nah. Instead, I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and his belt, lifted him above my head, and then slammed him into the pavement on his neck. After his body crushed his neck due to the collision with the ground, he started to convulse, blood spewing out of his mouth and nose. I smirked at the sight. I was enjoying the pain I was causing. Now that I think about it, I really shouldn't have enjoyed causing pain to others. However, that was just a side of me, I guess. In any case, I watched the body of the look-a-like continue to twitch, the blood then reaching my boots. All the while, I just kept staring at him.  
  
Damusa rushed over and checked to see if the guy still had a pulse. "That's not cool, Tidus. You coulda killed him. Hello? Tidus? Are you there?" He said to me, awakening the 'nicer' me. "Damusa? Oh no, what have I done?" I stammered, seeing my bloodstained boots. Damusa looked at me with a little fear before going back to tending to the guy's wounds. "I'm gonna call a med-hover to take him to the hospital. You should probably get out of here. There weren't any people around to see you trounce this guy, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to stick around for the medical team to get here. It'll be pretty difficult to explain why you beat this guy up. I mean, even if we lied and said it was in self-defense, how would we explain why you don't have a scratch on you and why this guy has a broken neck?" Damusa pointed out. I nodded in agreement and left, saying, "Take care of him. I'm gonna go find Areth." Damusa only turned back to the look-a-like with a small shake of his head.  
  
I walked around, pushing through a few people when necessary. The crowd had thinned down a bit since the incident with that blitzer so I found it easier to maneuver around them. At this point, I started feeling the aftereffects of fighting when I was still healing a deep wound. It hit me all at once, a tremendous jolt to my chest. That was to inform me that I had gone too far. It was bad enough that, yesterday, I went and fought fiends and then that super-fiend that granted Lenne the power of Elumina; then I had to go and beat up some idiot who didn't even matter. My body was not liking my treatment of it. I forced myself to ignore the pain and continued on. Of course, I had no idea where I was going. I mean, I only knew of two places Areth could've been. He was at neither.  
  
I walked for about one more minute before the pain in my chest hurt so bad that it caused me to stumble in my step. I struggled to regain my balance and because of that, I ended up bumping into someone. When I finally got back my footing, I noticed an old man kneeling on the ground, trying to get back to his feet. "Oh sorry!" I said, quickly going to the aid of the old one. "Thank you, young man." He said, with a gentle pat to my shoulder. I picked him up and checked to make sure he wasn't injured. "Are you okay? I'm really sorry for pushing you to the ground." I said with remorse. "Yes yes, I'll live. Do not worry about this old and withering oak. I still have a few years in me." He said with a light chuckle. I smiled weakly at him. "You, I've seen you somewhere before. I can't remember it, though. Tell me, what is your name, young man?" He asked. "Oh, I'm Ti... Shuyin." I said in response to his question. I didn't want to tell him I was Tidus. He didn't deserve that. "Ah, Shuyin my boy. You are tense. For a man of your age, that's quite a burden you put on your shoulders. Enjoy life; don't waste it. You'll regret it when you get to my age. Trust me; I know from experience." He stated. "How do you know I'm not enjoying my life? I'll have you know that I am always enjoying my life." I said in my defense. "No no no, you misunderstand. I do not mean that you are not enjoying your life, but that you have things on your mind that keep you from living carefree, the way a man like you should live." He corrected. "How's that? I'm sorry, I don't understand. What do I have on my mind that's preventing my happiness?" I asked. He didn't respond. Instead, he seemed to be lost in thought. Why was I wasting my time talking to him anyway? I needed to find Areth and talk to him about...  
  
"Dreams... One should think on dreams. Dreams are what some say are premonitions. Of course, those people are mostly the self-proclaimed telepaths who want to take your money." The old man said, chuckling a bit when he finished. "Huh? So think on dreams if you want to talk to a fortune teller?" I asked, still not understanding what this man was yammering about. He wasn't making any sense. I guess that with his old age, he just feels the need to talk to someone. Guess the elderly get lonely seeing as how no one really wanted to spend time with them. I guessed Areth could wait. After all, he would still be around tomorrow, but this man might not. "Young man, you live a troubled life. I am glad that you also seem to have something to help you." He said, tapping my chest lightly and smiling. "Huh? What do you mean by that?" I asked him again. "Your heart. Young people these days. Why must they be so oblivious? Shuyin, your heart has found someone. I can tell." He explained. How did he know? He didn't look like a mind reader. Was he just that experienced? He chuckled some more and tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "Shuyin, listen to my words carefully. You've had dreams, unpleasant dreams. You must think on them, but do not let them get in the way of your heart. Your heart knows best. Do not abandon it." He coughed a little and continued, "Dreams always have a meaning behind them. It is your job to figure out what that meaning is. Ah, but do not forget to live your life. Do not make this task your first priority. It is very important that you find out what the dreams you have mean and also important to live your life." He stopped. What was he talking about? If he wanted me to find out my dreams, I was doing the right thing. However, how do I make it important and also not make it my primary objective? That doesn't even make sense. "I remember a time long ago. You see, I had a dream, as well. In my dream, I saw myself as a ghost, an unsent. I wandered around and met a lovely young lady. What did I say her name was?" He started again, but forgot part of his story, stalling him. "Ah, it doesn't matter. Anyway, that dream means that sometime in the future, after I have passed, I will be made to stay on Spira. You see? Look for the meaning. It can be that obvious." He stated with a point to the sky. I stared blankly at him. So he had a dream where he was an unsent talking to a girl. That didn't really help me out. Besides, how was I to know that that really was going to happen to him? In my opinion, although dreams do hold some value, it couldn't really tell you your fate. "That's what you must do... Would you like some krunea juice?" He asked, finishing his instructions. "Uh, no thanks." I slowly replied. Krunea juice tasted horrible. I wondered just how people could actually drink that stuff. "Oh you young folk. You think that everything has to have that disgusting sugary taste. Well, I'm having a bottle. I hope I don't over-burden my kidneys, though. I can't seem to hold as much water as I used to." The man complained. I smiled a little. One day, I'd be that old man. I hoped I'd be in better shape than he was.  
  
"Well, I believe that you have someplace you need to go. Go on, then. Off with you. You have to do what you have to do, I suppose." He said. "Oh, okay then. Goodbye?" I returned, walking off slowly and unsure of the situation. Did he want me to seek out Areth? Well, seemed either that or he wanted me to go home, have fun with my life, and totally disregard all of my troubles.  
  
I decided that perhaps I really should just quit this search and go home. Besides, Kai had already cautioned me against that action. Areth was unstable and therefore dangerous. Even if I knew to defend myself, bullets weren't something I could fight against with my sword.  
  
Nodding my head in agreement with myself, I began to walk to my hover parked right outside Bevelle. I'd just live my life the normal way, no worrying about these stupid dreams and taking problems as they come. "Tidus..." A smooth voice purred from a distance. I turned around to face the source of that voice and saw the pale face that I had been searching for. Areth approached me, his brown hair gone, replaced by an ocean blue. Veins were embossed onto his forehead and looked ready to erupt. His eyes were bloodshot, making his already red eyes look almost demonic. "Areth?" I asked, slightly held back at his disheveled appearance. Aside from his perfectly smooth hair, accented by two spiked regions on either side of his head, he did not look well. "Ah, Tidus, how pleasant it is to see you again." He said, his voice floating over softly as he reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. "Uh, yea, I guess. How've you been?" I asked him, extremely on edge knowing that at any moment, he could pull out a gun on me and I'd be totally defenseless. At such a close range, I'd be shot before my hand could touch the hilt of my sword. "I'm just swell. My life has been going according to my wishes. I'm very pleased. How have you been, Tidus?" The blitzer replied, straightening my already well-made collar. "Uh, I'm okay. Nothing too drastic." I quickly stated, trying to find an opening for me to gain some distance. Areth let go of my collar and walked away a few feet. "You know, I've been losing some sleep. Been getting these dreams of the future that I can't quite shake." He said as he gazed into the center of the city, "Have you had dreams?" Should I have said anything to him? Should I have admitted the truth? "No, not really. Not that I can remember. What kind of dreams have you had?" I asked him, lying about my own life. "Oh, nothing unexpected. As I said, my life's been going the way I planned." He smoothly answered, giving me that smirk again. Obviously, I felt a bit nervous. Kai told me he was not the old Areth and, with his bloodshot eyes and those veins popping out of his head forehead, it seemed very logical to make such a conclusion. "You know, I'm really happy to see you again." He stated again, staring holes into my face. "Uh, why's that?" I asked him, reaching behind my back for my blade just in case. "It's just that, seeing you makes me feel joy. I don't know. I guess I like you." He replied, walking toward me again. I smiled. "Of course you like me. Everybody loves Tidus." I finished with a shrug as he began to chuckle lightly, putting both hands on my shoulders and saying, "I guess we'll just see about that in the future, eh? I wish you luck... Tidus..." The way he said that name felt off and made me feel uneasy. Then, Areth bent his head in and kissed me on the forehead before leaving very abruptly.  
  
I was left by myself to wonder what that was all about. My search for answers, or at least clues, created more mysteries and more questions. Areth did seem like the type to kill me, but his behavior was strange. To kill me or love me, what did he want? 


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Changing the Times  
  
A couple of months passed since speaking to Areth in Bevelle. Currently, tension was mounting in the air. Even in Zanarkand, the members in government looked upset about something. There must have been something wrong with Bevelle. My thought was that there was some sort of leadership issue over there, like the current one was sick or something. Hey, if becoming the next leader of Bevelle was Areth's desire, his life really would be going the right way, right?  
  
"Shuyin! Give me a hand with this fiend, will ya?" Kirin yelled at me for zoning out. "Coming!" I yelled back over, flipping in the air and slashing downward like I had done with the unsent in the cave and the fiend from before. My Spin Cut, I called it. "Oh, poopie! You couldn't have done a better overdrive?" My companion whined. I rolled my eyes as the Adamantoise disintegrated. A few pyreflies brushed through my hair and across my arms on their way to the Farplane. "Whatcha been thinkin' about, Shuyin?" She asked. I decided not to tell her what I had theorized, telling her that, "I'm just thinking about the next season of blitz." "We'll whomp any team like always." She replied, showing me that my ploy worked. "You sure? I hear the Al Bhed Psyches are buffing up. They just got Tappa on their team. From what I hear, he's really fast and sharp. Also, there was that rookie from last season, Naru, and she's been drilling like crazy." I informed my fellow Abe. Kirin thought for a moment. My guess was that she was recalling the past games we've had. She probably wanted to think on just how much Naru could've improved. "I guess she could be a threat, but who cares? We've got you and Rothel. With your Jecht Shot and Rothel's strategies, we can't lose." She insisted.  
  
Our conversation was interrupted when a voice yelled over to us. "Hey! Are you the guy that beat Trista's Aeons?" She said, running towards us. I had no idea who she was, but she wore this robe thing and, seeing how she knew about Trista, I assumed she was another one of those summoners. "Yea, I'm Tidus. Who are you?" I called back, asking for her identity once she reached us. "Oh, sorry. I'm Larea. I'm one of the summoners trained, personally, by Lady Yunalesca." She gloated, "I just wanted to find the 'Aeon killer' and see if I could test my mantle against him." I got a bit angered by that comment. What was I? I'm not target practice for Aeons. I realized something at that point. I beat Trista and if she thought that was impressive, her skills must not be that honed yet. I'd take her on and teach her how to be humble. "Fine, I accept your challenge." I replied with a smile. "Shu... Tidus!" Kirin yelled. I gave my friend a look that said that I knew what I was getting myself into.  
  
"Right! Now I'll show you my Bahamut!" Larea said, summoning her Aeon. Bahamut erupted into being with a great roar, causing Kirin to gasp. "Don't worry. I'm a lot stronger now." I reassured. Bahamut spread its wings and flew at me, a speed probably twice that of Trista's. However, my abilities had vastly improved since a Bahamut last sank its claws into me, therefore, I had enough in me to leap over this Aeon's grasp. After I landed, it came at me again. I was ready to jump once more, but at the last second, it flared its wings and sent four massive balls of energy at me. "Didn't expect Impulse I see..." The summoner gloated. At that time, I really hoped Lenne would have come back. She had left us to partake in a meeting with the big wigs by order of Yu Yevon.  
  
I screamed as the attack's effects sank in. I felt like I had plunged myself into the sun. The light burned my flesh, but I couldn't give in. I was better than this. I couldn't lose to one of these conceited brats. They'd just keep getting bigger heads and step on everyone else even more than they already had. My victory over Trista shut them up somewhat, what with being the blitzer that kicked a summoner's ass. Using all my will, I held up my sword and charged it. Since the energy around me was how I amassed the power of the Force Rain, this ball of energy burning me made the perfect source. All of the harm was sucked into my blade and I was free from the pain, though my clothes smoked to show what I had been through. I leapt into the air and shot the energy right back at Bahamut. "No, Bahamut! Fly!" Larea shrieked, watching in disbelief the destruction of her summoned creature. "Now who was unsuspecting? Didn't see my overdrive coming now did ya?" I breathed with a smirk. "What's an overdrive?" She asked, the pyreflies of her Aeon returning to her. Kirin jumped over to her in her usual over-zealous way and told her that, "It's an attack you do only when you have enough pep in ya! His Force Rain was the thing he just used. Spread the word about overdrives! It's gonna be the new word and it'll be a hit! Wanna know what mine are?" The summoner was taken aback by the excited blonde girl jumping up and down in front of her. "Uh, okay?" She stammered. "Well, first, I love mixing things so I call it my Magic Mix! I know, it isn't really magic and I don't really need too much spunk in me to pull it off, but..." And after a half hour, "And my second overdrive, Dagger Shower, is this one where I can throw my daggers and they do this thing and make lots more daggers, and they fall on the baddies. I don't really know how that works, but..." And after another half hour, "My third overdrive is Blitz Strike. See, I'm a blitzball player on our Abes team and this overdrive is a great one that compliments that. I have this special blitz ball that has blades coming out of it and I throw it at the baddies. And that's about it! I still haven't come up with a fourth, but neither did Tidus, so I'm in the clear!" The girl finally finished and took a breather. "Well, that was..." Larea started to say. "... long?" I finished. Larea giggled and Kirin looked at me with a pout. "Well, sounds like fun! Let's see. Well, summoners have a special summon called the Grand Summon. It requires a lot of focus and stamina. I guess that'll be my overdrive." The summoner replied. "Great! That's cool. The Grand Summon. What does it do?" Kirin asked. "When you summon the Aeon, it will be at its full potential. Then it can do things like, say if it was Bahamut, he'd be able to use MegaFlare on the spot." Larea explained. "Wow, that's cool. That means that even Aeons have overdrives!" The blonde girl exclaimed. "I guess you're right. Bahamut has MegaFlare, Ifrit has HellFire, Ixion has Thor's Hammer, Shiva has Diamond Dust, and Valefor has Energy Blast." Larea informed. "And Elumina has Nova Burst!" Kirin chimed in. Larea was confused. "Elumina?" "She's an Aeon that Lenne got. I guess each summoner, aside from the basic five, gets their own unique branch of Aeons. Anyway, she got Elumina about two months ago." I stated. "Oh. I wasn't aware that Lenne was such a rising summoner." She said. "Lenne is the bestest summoner I know!" Kirin defended.  
  
I stopped paying attention after that. My attention was returned to Bevelle. I seriously couldn't shake the dread that loomed over me about Areth. I still felt that he was going to do what I had dreamt he would do. He had changed his hair accordingly. It was spiked at those two points. Perhaps though, I should have thought more about what that blue-eyed creature was behind Areth. Certainly, some things about the second dream were more vivid. There were a lot more people. I knew that Bevelle, Zanarkand, and the Farplane were involved. Of course, the first dream, the one with me in that cage was informative, as well. Did Areth capture me and kill Lenne just to get at me? If Kai was right, Areth would be capable of such action.  
  
Even so, I didn't understand why I was staring at the city in the distance. I mean it wasn't like the answer was right there for me to read or anything. In any case, I continued to stare at it while Kirin and Larea conversed.  
  
Suddenly, I saw some smoke coming from the city. I had no idea what that was, but whatever it was couldn't be good. "Hey guys! Look!" I said, pointing over to the smoke. "What do you think it is?" Both of them responded in sync. I started walking off and the both of them got the message to follow if they wanted to. We got to Bevelle just in time to hear gunfire and a lot of yelling. "What's going on in there?" I asked no one in particular. "Well, we won't find out just standing here like this!" Kirin whined, grabbing both my and Larea's arm and dragging us into Bevelle. When we were near the area where I had seen the smoke, I noticed a decent sized crowd had gathered. "Wonder what's going on?" Kirin asked, trying to peer over a few shoulders. Seeing a beam jutting out from a building I said, "I know. Be right back!" I jumped, latching my hands onto the beam and swinging myself around, flipping me onto the roof. Looking down at the crowd, I saw that they were looking at someone being arrested by Bevelle guards. "Hey! Let me go! It was only a little fun!" The man shouted. Upon closer observation, I realized who they were arresting. "Rothel!" I yelled from my high position. That guy was bound to get caught one day. Of course, this day wouldn't be that day. I pushed off of the roof and plummeted to the ground. While I was airborne, I unsheathed my sword and swung the flat side of it down on a guard. "Tidus? Hey bro! Ya here ta save me?" Rothel asked as I smacked another guard in the face. "That and maybe somethin' else, too." I shouted at him, eyes glaring. Nobody was paying attention to me anymore since Kirin and Larea were providing a good distraction. The prior started throwing stuff from her bag, putting dust into the air. Meanwhile, Larea cast Wataga at the dust, creating instant icicles that rained down on the people. Finally, I spun around, swinging my blade horizontally and taking out all the surrounding guards. I grabbed Rothel by the collar of his shirt and got him out of there. All four of us ran as quickly as we could until we were at least a mile from the main gate.  
  
"You are unbelievable!" I screamed at my best friend. "Bro, I was only havin' a little fun! Them suits from Bevelle are way too serious, ya know?" Rothel defended, shrugging like nothing happened. I grunted. If the three of us hadn't gotten there, who knows what they would've done to him. "Rothel! You're lucky to be alive!" Kirin scolded. "Yea yea, sure. Hey! Who's the girl? That the girl Tidus here is datin'?" He asked. "Huh? Oh! That's Larea! We just met her!" Kirin chirped, completely forgetting that she was angry with the man. "Hey there." Rothel said to the summoner, his voice coming out in that cocky and confident manner he usually displayed in front of women he wanted to... Moving along. "Um, hi?" Larea shyly greeted. I rolled my eyes. If anything, she'd be yet another one nighter for the guy. Rothel seriously needed to learn commitment.  
  
I wondered how the man could live like that. He'd slept with a countless number of girls. Didn't that get old? I mean, okay, so a virgin isn't someone to be guessing at these things, but I really didn't understand the point of doing it that many times.  
  
"Uh guys? Soldiers comin' from Bevelle, that ain't good, right?" Rothel asked sarcastically, pointing at about ten heavily armed men that were approaching us. "Oh this is just great." I grumbled, filling my voice with as much sarcasm as I could. Again I took out my blade. "Look, I'm sorry my friend here screwed with you, but he's my best friend and I won't let anything happen to him." I shouted over to the soldiers, "So back off!" They didn't comply.  
  
When they reached firing range, I realized the absurdity of my order. Why did they have to back off? I had a sword. Kirin had daggers and powder bombs. Larea had spells and summons that would take a bit longer than a speeding bullet to cast and Rothel didn't even fight. What did I expect to back up my command with? The soldiers raised their weapons and took aim. Was that what my dream was about? I'd be shot by Bevelle, hence Areth? That did explain why Lenne would be crying and why I couldn't comfort her. How can a dead guy comfort a living girl? I thought I was doomed.  
  
Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Pyreflies appeared and gathered together, forming the body of my mentor in combat, Takuma. As the bullets were fired, Takuma readied his weapon, deflecting each one as it came and sending it right back at the one who shot it. When the last of the soldiers fell, he turned to me. "You have one last lesson you must learn." He stated, moving past me and gesturing for me to follow. I did, waving goodbye to my friends who wondered what was going on.  
  
Suddenly, my vision went white and I wondered where I was. "This is the white space. I have brought you here to learn your final lesson." Takuma said. "Why here? Why not just out in public like always?" I asked the unsent, slightly mocking him. "If I were to shoot you on Spira, you'd die. Here, you can't. Besides, shooting the infamous Shuyin isn't such a smart move when your friends are right there with you." He explained calmly. "You're gonna what?!!" I screamed, my eyes bulging. "You need to learn how to defend yourself against projectile weapons. I saved you today, but you will not always be this fortunate." He simply replied. My eyes looked like they'd pop out of my head. If I thought this guy was nuts before, this time it was completely confirmed. "What are you waiting for? Bring up your weapon and let us begin." He ordered. I looked at my blade with doubt. A thin piece of metal was going to stop me from getting shot?  
  
Completely unannounced, Takuma took out a gunblade and fired five shots at me. I cringed. The bullets hit me within moments and they hurt a lot. One pierced my shoulder, two hit my left knee, one went into my gut, and the last sped through my neck, just barely missing my windpipe. I landed on the non-existent ground pretty hard. With my last breathe fast approaching, Takuma sighed and snapped his fingers. Instantly, my wounds were gone. I stood and Takuma fired again. Not wanting to go through that again, I held up my sword and swung it wildly around my front. Of course, I barely even managed to scrape one of those bullets and this time, I was shot in my arm three times and my right leg twice. I muffled a cry of agony and Takuma made my wounds disappear again. "You aren't learning are you? Do you not see the simplicity of this lesson? And you continue to fail. Pathetic..." He mouthed. My eyes twitched. I was losing my temper again. This idiot was shooting me with a gun and I was armed with only a sword. He fired again, this time only two bullets. In my rage, I swung violently at the projectiles and I was hit by... none... "Huh?" I said, completely baffled that I wasn't hit again. "Ah, so you are good for something." Takuma mocked, applauding my success. "I did it? But how did that happen? I was so sure I'd get shot again." I reiterated, still in shock that I deflected a speeding bullet. "You still don't get it? When you became angered with me, you built up more speed, making relative time slower to you. Therefore, it gave you more reaction time to hit back those bullets." He explained. "So I have to be angry to deflect them?" I asked, not liking this stipulation. "No. In time you'll come to be capable of performing these maneuvers without the aid of your anger. For example, when I first met you, you fought solely on your adrenaline. Now look at you; you've become capable of attacking without callousness. You fight based on strategy aided by instinct, not instinctive strategy." He informed. "So if I just practice, sooner or later I won't be needing my temper to solve my problems?" I asked just to make sure. "Yes. Now, return to your friends. I think they are in need of your assistance." He said with a wave.  
  
I was instantly brought back to the place where I had last seen my friends. I took in the scene before me. Kirin was jabbing her daggers at a few of Bevelle's ranks, trying to shoo away them away. Rothel was busy pummeling one while another choked him from behind with his gunblade, attempting to pry him off. Larea was swinging her staff around, unable to fend off her assailants and unable to cast any of her spells while doing that. Why wasn't Lenne back yet? I took it upon myself to go help my two friends and the summoner. Seeing the closest person, Larea, being hit in the leg by a kick, I lashed out at the attacker, cutting his weapon in two and putting a large tear in his uniform, before kicking him to the ground. Moving along, I back swung another soldier, batting him in the back of the head. He dropped on the spot as I continued, using Hit and Run to defeat the rest. One slash to a chest, another to someone's back, a couple more to gunblades, and finishing off with a jump swipe, cracking the helmet of the final soldier. "Are you guys okay?" I asked. "Yea, we just fine. Where you go before?" Rothel said, showing his obvious fatigue. "We were wondering why you weren't coming back to help us." Kirin whined. "I'm sorry. I needed to pick up a new skill." I offered as an apology. "That's okay! We know how to take care of ourselves." Kirin chirped, patting herself on the chest to show her strength. I smiled and looked into the distance... and frowned.  
  
Bevelle wasn't giving up. More soldiers, this time about thirty or so, started marching... toward Zanarkand? "C'mon! Let's go see what they're doing." I suggested. Together, the four of us ran in the direction of home. When we were close to ten yards away, I noticed that a few summoners were standing at attention to the soldiers. Seeing Yunalesca, I ran up to her and asked, "You saw them coming? Do you know why they are attacking Zanarkand? I thought they were pissed off at Rothel." "You fool. They do not desire the blood of your friend. You blitzers are worthless. The only purpose your kind serve is to provide the people of Zanarkand with a source of entertainment." She replied with much disdain, "Go to your woman. There you will be safe. Leave the battles to the summoners, you insect." "Sorry, m'lady. If I were to leave, I'd be letting a woman fight a battle that I should have been a part of. Call it male superiority complex, but I don't want to see a woman hurt if I can help it." I said. "So choking Trista was your idea of protecting her?" The summoner sneered. "Who ever said I wanted to protect her? Fact is, the girl pissed me off enough for me to attempt homicide on her bitchy behind. Sorry, but as much as I don't like to see a woman get hurt, I still believe in just desserts which was what I was providing for her. I don't hold grudges for too long, though. I like to deal with each problem when it arises and forget my troubles afterward. (Okay, so I'm lying through my teeth. So what?) Besides, Trista tried to kill me with her Aeons so I had to return the favor. You would've known that had you not started with me also." I answered back. Not waiting for a response, I rushed off a few feet in front of Yunalesca and stood strong as the army reached me. They lifted their weapons and aimed them, not just at me, but rather those of Zanarkand. I brought up my blade, letting the glint slide down my face before I directed the sharp side forward. As if that was the signal, the soldiers fired off a slew of their rounds. I watched carefully and actually saw the waves of sound spreading through the air as the bullets pushed toward me. I moved my sword to one and pushed it off to the side, the projectile flying aimlessly up into the sky. "Start casting! Summon something! Kirin, Rothel, Larea, you guys help out, too! Do whatever you can! Let's show Bevelle what the Zanarkand Abes can do, guys!" I shouted, my voice coming out at a slower pace due to my distorted perspective. I swung my blade around to my left, deflecting another bullet, to my right, blocking a few more, and slashed one in half, sending it to the ground in two pieces. I kept hitting each bit of ammunition until one stray shot hit me in the lower leg, near my ankle. I winced in pain and started to sink. Another struck me in my arm and I collapsed onto my uninjured knee. I felt a surge of rage flood through my veins. Opening my eyes, I glared at them, seeing only the color red. More volleys came at me, but in my relative view, they were barely going two inches a minute. I could actually see each wave of sound slowly expanding, shoving away air particles. I batted away a few bullets, slashed a few more, and even stabbed a couple of them since I could. Finally, my vision returned to normal with the battle cries of several Aeons. I turned my head around to see an assortment of the summoned beasts stampeding past me to attack the soldiers themselves. They had no need to worry about bullets. With hides as thick as they had, they could take them and get at the gunners without much effort. "You have done well, blitzer. We shall take it from here." Yunalesca stated... with a smile? "Go to your songstress." I nodded and did what I was told. "C'mon guys. Let's go home." I said to my teammates, wrapping my injured arm around Rothel's shoulder. The three of us started to head out, leaving Larea, summoner that she was, behind. "Oh blitzer! One last thing." Yunalesca called back, casting a spell my way. My arm and leg were stroked ever so gently by a white light and my injuries were gone. "Thank you." I said, smiling back at the summoner who had already returned her focus to Bevelle. Guess I had proven myself to her.  
  
We walked together, joking around like always, walking noisily and looking like we were drunk. "So Rothie, whatcha think's gonna be the outcome of this season?" Kirin asked. "Girl, don't ya know by now? We gonna stomp on the competition like always. That's never gonna change, ya hear? The Zanarkand Abes are always gonna be on top!" Came 'Rothie's' answer. "Well, I hope you guys aren't underestimating those other guys. I mean the Besaid Aurochs are no joke and the Al Bhed Psyches are getting it together. I'd say we're gonna be in for quite the ride." I stated, putting my arms behind my head and looking up at the stars. "Ah, Tidus, you worry too much." Kirin chimed in, knocking on my chest. "Yea Bro. You can't underestimate us, either. We a tough bunch of blitzers ourselves. Don't count us too short, buddy." Rothel added. "Fine fine. I give! I give! We'll whoop 'em so bad they won't wanna come back the season after that!" I shouted with a smile on my face. The lot of us cackled like idiots for the next few minutes.  
  
I left my friends when we got to Yu Yevon's office. I wanted to speak with Lenne, as well as, talk to Zanarkand's able-bodied leader. Kirin covered for me with Rothel. "Shuyin!" Lenne shouted when she saw me, throwing both her arms around my neck and hugging me warmly. "Lenne... I missed ya." I said weakly, the events of the day taking its toll on my vitality. "I missed you, too. How did the battle go?" She asked. "I ended up using Spin Cut on it." I told her. "Aw, you couldn't use a better overdrive?" She joked. I rolled my eyes, "That's exactly what Kirin said." The both of us giggled for a while before I saw Yu Yevon approach us. "Welcome, Shuyin." He said with a slight smile. "Sir Yu Yevon." I replied with respect. I paused a bit. "Sir, I was attacked by Bevelle today. They sent two waves at my friends and a final one at the city itself." I informed him. "You were attacked?" Lenne asked, concerned, "Were you hurt? Is Kirin alright?" "I'm just fine and so is Kirin. Don't worry about it." I answered. Yu Yevon remained quiet. "Sir, I'm afraid that if these attacks persist and if we must continue to put up a defense, we might have a war on our hands soon." I told our leader. His answer was not one to give me comfort... none what so ever. Lenne's stance wasn't very comforting, either.  
  
"My boy," He said, "We are at war..." 


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The War

I stood there in complete and total petrifaction. War? That made perfect sense in accordance with my two dreams. The POW cell in the first one that I deemed ridiculous wouldn't be so ridiculous if we really were at war. And that also explains why everybody looked like they were waiting for something in the second dream. Not only that, but with all the gunfire in both and the fact that it was Areth, of Bevelle, with the weapon, I couldn't believe how stupid I was for not realizing it. Of course, certain things still weren't clear. For instance, what were those blue eyes behind Areth that kept staring at me? A war wouldn't explain that. And why was Yunalesca so large on the summoner side? Who was behind her? Why did the Farplane vanish? Just when I thought I had it figured out, I found that I really didn't have too much solved after all.

However, what worried me more at that point was the war itself. Zanarkand hadn't been at war for centuries. Exactly what did we have that could combat the militaristic fortress that was Bevelle? I feared we were outmatched. Our machina were horribly outdated; most of the technology of Zanarkand had been used for luxury and entertainment. Too bad you can't use lots of good movie graphics to win a real war. What would we do? We couldn't take down Bevelle.

"Are you feeling alright, my boy?" Yu Yevon finally said, bringing me back from my depressing thoughts. "Huh? Oh, sorry about that. Yea, I'm fine sir. I'm just…" I mumbled, not knowing how to describe my current state of thought. "…Confused? Worried? That is understandable, but fear not. Zanarkand shall not fall." He replied, finishing my sentence for me. I didn't understand. Did he have some kind of plan to save Zanarkand? "How can you be so confident that we will see victory and not defeat at the hands of Bevelle? You know, as well as everyone on Zanarkand, that Bevelle has many war machines and we haven't concentrated on building machina for war since the last war over five centuries or so ago." I relayed to our leader. "My boy, machina do not win wars. People, they win wars. I have many plans of action in response to this. Of course, first and foremost, I shall try and sort this dispute with Bevelle's leader, Jin Mikala. If that should fail, I still have other ideas about how to keep Zanarkand alive." He said confidently with a pat to my shoulder.

As much as I wanted to believe the man, I found I just simply couldn't. No matter what, the feeling of dread would not disappear. "Lenne, let me take you home. It's getting late. I believe you sir. I think you are our only hope in stopping this war before too many lives are lost." I stated solemnly. "Oh, okay Shuyin. Let's go home." Lenne quietly said, walking up to me and grabbing a hold of my left arm. "Good luck to you sir. I hope you succeed." I told Yu Yevon before heading out with Lenne. "Good luck to you in the future, as well." He replied, closing the door after our departure.

"You're still worried." Lenne whispered to me as I walked her home. "Yes. Zanarkand hasn't been in a war for this long and now we are supposed to just get up and face off against a military powerhouse like Bevelle? That's suicide. We don't stand a chance." I muttered, my body stiffer than I'd ever been in my life. "But Yu Yevon said…" She began. "I know. He said we had nothing to worry about and I want to believe him… but…" I uttered, not knowing how to finish my statement. "But you still have a bad feeling about this. Yes, so do I. I just hope this war doesn't get out of hand." She said. We reached her house. "Although, we do have the summoners. That might tip the scales in our favor. Don't you think?" She asked as we approached her door. "I don't know. Summons are great. I know how powerful they can be, but what about the summoners themselves? If their Aeons are fighting the machina, what's there to protect the summoner from more attackers?" I asked, contemplating the use of such magic wielders. "Well, our Aeons could just hold off all the attackers, right?" Lenne suggested. "I'm not sure they are that strong. Sooner or later, at least one will slip by and then it'll be machine against human. I think metal beats skin, don't you?" I returned. "That's true. I don't know, but I think we just need a little more faith in Yu Yevon. He wouldn't let anything happen to Zanarkand." She offered. "Yea, I guess you're right. Well, it's late. You should get to bed. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay? Goodnight." I said, waving to her as I began the walk to my house. "Goodnight." I heard Lenne say as I kept walking.

When I got to my house, I was exhausted. Fighting and running around all day wasn't what I called relaxing. Still, I found I wanted to do one last thing. Walking over to the piano I had bought to continue my practice with music, I opened up the cover and turned it on. The keys formed and I sat down. I didn't understand why, perhaps just a subconscious desire, but I had to play a song. As the music was produced with each press of the keys, I heard the tranquil melody my heart was producing. It was very spiritually lifting if I say so myself. It was kind of like a minuet, although it was more serious, more of a serenade. In any case, I played it until the end and felt very moved by it. I chose to entitle it, Eternity's Memory. It was to account for the lives that would be lost due to this stupid war. It would soothe the uneasy spirits as it had mine. All those lives that would be lost, their families, they could take comfort that their memories would be preserved by each and every citizen of Zanarkand for all eternity.

I went to sleep. You'd expect me to have another dream right? Well, instead, I had an astral visitor. "Arise young one." Takuma's voice said as I opened my eyes. "Takuma? Am I dreaming again?" I asked. "No. I come to you in the astral plane. You are asleep Shuyin, and we need to talk." He stated. "Talk? Talk about what?" I asked again. "We must speak about what I had said to you before." He answered, sighing. "You mean when you said you feared my future? Did you mean the war?" I started again. "Yes, I was referring to the war. However, now I see I was at fault. Although the war shall take its toll, you will not suffer as much as I had feared." He explained. "Suffer? I'm gonna get captured? POW?" I quickly questioned, wanting to know more. Perhaps he had seen how I got myself into that POW cell. If he did, he could tell me and I'd know to watch out for it. "You will be captured. You will be a prisoner of war, however, I cannot reveal to you how that occurs. It would disrupt the tide of events and I for one will not be responsible for that." He said. "Oh. That's alright. I don't really need to know. I mean you said that it'll be alright anyway, right? As long as I don't lose any vital limbs, I'm fine." I replied, giving the warrior a thump to the chest. He smiled at me and asked, "Well, now that that's done with, would you care to duel?" "Duel? With you? Sure! Let's go." I accepted, making a sly gesture. "Very well. We shall see what you have learned under my tutelage." He snickered and rushed me. I leaped over his attack and deflected his back swing as well. Right away, he charged at me again, kicking my back as soon as I landed. I lost my balance and tripped forward a few steps before regaining it. Grinning, I dashed at the man and swiped my blade at his neck. He bent and dodged the sword, but in doing so, he allowed his middle to be exposed. I quickly threw my elbow down at his gut and he hit the ground hard. I stood over him, confident that I had beaten my teacher, but at the moment when I was about to stab him, he slipped between my legs, pushing them apart and forcing me into a split. Lucky for me, flexibility isn't a problem of mine and the split didn't hurt a bit. However, the drop kick he landed at the back of my head did. My face hit the ground and I winced. That's when an idea hit me. Seeing as Takuma would have to be close to my back to perform that drop kick, I lifted myself on my arms and snapped my legs together, grabbing Takuma with my unorthodox pincer. Then, I made a flip and his head smacked into the made-up concrete that was the ground in this astral plane. He unsteadily wobbled back to his feet and I pointed my blade at his throat. "I win." I simply said, making a smirk. "That you did. Good job, Shuyin. You were a difficult opponent and I'm proud to lose to you." The warrior said, bowing in respect.

I awoke to find myself in an awkward position on my bed. My hair was all ruffled and my blanket looked like it was being strangled by my legs. All in all, I looked like I had just woken from a hangover. Laughing at myself, I got up and left my bed the way it was, being the guy that I am. I took off my clothes and got into the shower, turning the water on at a luke warm state. The liquid hit me and splashed and I found it much easier to awaken after that. A morning shower usually has that effect on me. I finished up my shower, making sure to wash my hair so it wouldn't be such a mess, and got on a fresh set of clothes. Going to my kitchen to get some breakfast, I turned on the SV and listened in on the morning news as I fried some eggs and got some rice. "In latest news, Bevelle struck late last night at an old military complex kept as a landmark. No deaths have been reported and no one was injured. More details later today." The news reporter said. That was definitely good news. They had attacked an empty museum. Maybe they got lost and thought that base was still functioning. Oh well. At least they weren't attacking innocent people… yet…

I finished my breakfast and started to head out. Suddenly, my telcom rang. "Hello?" "Shuyin? Hey, meet me and Lenne over at Genusted Park, okay?" Kirin asked. "I'll be there. See ya later, Kirin." I said, hanging up. Grabbing my keys, I headed out, driving the short distance to C-South and Genusted Park.

"Hi guys!" I waved upon seeing Lenne and Kirin. Rothel and Larea were with them. "What's this? More company?" I asked. "Yea, Rothel here just showed up outta nowhere and Larea followed." Kirin explained. "Is that so?" I asked, looking suspiciously at Rothel. "Wha? Can't a guy just bring along some back-up?" He defended. "Not when that guy is you buddy." I joked. Kirin laughed it up, unable to control her giggling. "Oh, now you too! I tell ya, one o' these days. Oh I'll get ya." Rothel joke threatened. I pretended like I was intimidated and shrunk in his presence. He followed suit, acting all high and mighty. "Do you guys always goof around like this?" The newcomer asked. "Yea, don't worry. You'll get the hang of it soon enough!" Kirin chimed in, hopping to Larea's side and pulling her to join in. She awkwardly stumbled in and shyly waved at me and Lenne. "Hey, c'mon L. You don't gotta be shy." Rothel said, putting an arm around her waist. Yup, he'd slept with her. And after only meeting her yesterday, wow. "Alright alright! Let's get down to business. I've called you all here to figure out what we can do about the war." Kirin said, in as much of a serious tone as she could muster. And that's not a heckuva lot. "Wait, how do you know about the war already?" I asked, having only heard of the war, myself, last night with Lenne. "Well duh! The SV? It was all over the news last night. Don't you watch the news?" She answered in a matter of fact tone. "Well, I really don't care too much to watch the news, so no." I replied to her question in my usual sincere to the core way. "Well, anyway, what do you guys think we can do?" She asked the rest of the gang, refocusing my attention. "I say we kick their butts and send 'em cryin' home." Rothel yelled, throwing a fist into the air. "I agree with him. I believe we should just beat them and make them realize they won't take Zanarkand without a fight." Larea added. "Well, that's all well and stuff, but you're forgetting something. Just how exactly are we gonna fight them off? We haven't been at war in hundreds of years. We barely know anything about war. How can we fend them off if we don't even know what we're doing?" I asked. "Aw c'mon Tidus. You're bringin' me down here. We can take 'em if we really wanted to, ya know? Alls we gotta do is have a plan. You know me Tidus, I'm full o' plans." Rothel exclaimed. "If I might add, we don't even know what Bevelle has. That means we don't even know what we'd be planning to attack anyway." Lenne said, coming to my aid. "Exactly. We haven't a clue as to what we're up against and besides, it's just the five of us. What can five people do?" I added. "How about six?" A voice called from behind me.

"Honey!" Kirin shouted, rushing over to Jurama. "Hi, Ju!" I said. "Heya, Ju!" Rothel said after. "So I finally meet you." Lenne voiced in. Kirin popped in again saying, "Oh right! Honey, this is Lenne. Lenne, this is my boyfriend, Jurama." "It's nice to meet you, m'lady." The dark haired one said, taking Lenne's hand and kissing it. "Oh, and that's Larea over there!" Kirin chimed again, pointing at our other summoner. "It's nice to meet you." He said. "Likewise." Larea shyly replied. Guess she wasn't used to us yet. "Okay okay. Well, even with six of us, we don't stand a chance against Bevelle. I mean think about it! I'm a swordsman, but I'm still only one guy. Rothel, you don't even fight. We got two summoners, Larea and Lenne, but even summons won't beat machina, since there are that many. And then, there's you Kirin, but daggers against machines won't do diddly and your Magic Mix is your best bet. Lastly, we got you Ju, but a black mage just means one more summoner minus the Aeons. We're still outnumbered." I kept saying, beating the subject to death. "Maybe Galte can help." Another voice called out.

"Hey there buddy! See, now we're set. We got you, me, Kirin, Lenne, L, Ju, and now Galte." Rothel proudly stated. "Yea, but… wait, what did Kirin say about why Lenne's here?" I asked Rothel curiously. "She said you was datin' ha, ya sly fox. Thought you had two girls when you was just datin' Lenne the whole time and she was the summoner I was hearin' about." He explained. "Oh, heh, yea… Well, in any case, I still don't think we can beat all of Bevelle." I said, returning to the topic at hand. "Ronso crush Bevelle scum! Ronso not afraid of machina!" Galte stated with a courageous pound to his chest. "While I admire that Galte, it still doesn't hold much water. No matter how ya slice it, those things are metal and we're all made of flesh. I really don't see a way to win this thing." I replied.

We talked about it some more and we all ended up agreeing on one thing. As much as Bevelle overpowered us, we'd fight back. We wouldn't let Zanarkand fall if we still had air in our lungs. "So all agreed?" Kirin asked. "Agreed!" We all chimed in at once, putting our hands on top of one another and breaking. After that, we just sat around, chatting it up about our lives up to that point.

"Yea, she's special to me. I don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone." I told Rothel. "Heh, that's great buddy. I hope you two'll be happy." He replied. "Ya know, you and that Larea could hit it off? How was she by the way?" I asked him. "Eh? How was who?" Rothel asked me as if he didn't know what I was referring to. "Larea. It's obvious you 'had a good time' with her. How was she?" I asked him again. "Nah buddy. The two of us never even made it there. We had too much fun chattin' it up last night. We went to this movie right? The sappiest thing I ever saw, but she made it worth it, ya know? I dunno. No girl's eva made me feel that way before." He stated, getting lost in his own thoughts. "Wow, I think we found ourselves a winner!" I joked. "Eh? Winner? Whatcha talkin' about Tidus?" He asked. "Oh nothing. Just that I finally see Rothel on the verge of changing his ways. At least, that's how I see it." I mused, nudging him in the chest. "Ah, nice try! Dunno, maybe. I just don't see me as the type a guy that settles, ya know?" He admitted. "I know. Hey, I never thought I'd settle either. I never thought I'd like any girl because most of the ones that surround us are those ditsy girls who always throw themselves at us." I replied. "Yea, know what ya mean. I used to love those girls. Throw 'em at me one at a time or even three at a time. Heh, I loved those nights, ya know? Now, that all just seems… I dunno. Like dumb to me, ya know?" He said, struggling to find the words. Rothel was changing. He found love himself and was ready to settle down and devote his life to her. I felt proud of my friend. All that time, sleeping with millions of girls left and right and finally, he'd found a keeper.

"Galte bored of small talk. Galte want to beat puny Bevelle soldiers." The white Ronso yelled in exasperation, roaring into the sky. "Right! Rothel, what's the plan?" Kirin added, getting back into her military mode. "He's rather pugnacious isn't he?" I asked no one in particular. "Yes, he seems that way." Lenne answered with a giggle as we all huddled around. "Alright. Here's the plan. See, like Tidus said so many times, we don't got enough people. Therefore, we gotta use that guerilla warfare bit. So, alls we gotta do is get on Gagazet and find their weakest point. Then, we get there, take out the defenses, and wait for targets. We don't go lookin' for trouble, but when it comes our way, we go after it, capiche?" Rothel explained, making the appropriate hand gestures as he did so. "Got it. Hey, sounds like a plan." I admitted, thinking it through. If we found a way to hide around their base, we could just pick off stragglers or those that dared to wander over. "Galte crush puny Bevelle soldiers." Galte exclaimed, catching a clawed fist in his other hand. "We'll cover the Aeon backing." Lenne added, putting an arm around Larea. "And I've got magic down." Jurama pointed out, putting a thumb to his chest. "Good. When ya wanna head out?" Rothel asked. "Let's go now. What are we waiting for?" Kirin suggested. "Yea, let's see what the great band of vigilantes can do, eh?" I vocalized, waving the rest over as I already began to head out. "Hey wait up T!" Kirin shouted after me.

Getting to Gagazet wasn't difficult as we had Galte, one of the inhabitants. He not only guided us, but he fended away any suspicious Ronso onlookers. They seemed to have a certain respect for him. Soon after, we reached the peak. "See anything?" I asked Kirin as she looked at the city beyond through her binoculars. "Nope. Give me a few more seconds." She responded. "I don't think they'd have any of the Zanarkand-facing points guardless. That would be ridiculous." Lenne said. Nobody said anything for a while as we awaited Kirin's report. "Oh yea? Well, just check out the western border. Just about nothin's guarding that." She replied to Lenne's earlier statement. Lenne took a look through the binoculars. "Yea, it doesn't seem like they've got too many over there. I think you could take them out yourself… Tidus." She told me, still gazing at the location of our stakeout. "I think you're right. I could probably take them down." I confirmed when I got my chance to look at the place. Only two guards were posted. One was lookout and the other was gunner. I could handle them both with ease. "Okay. So, I'll go in first. I'll take out those two guards. Then, the rest of you follow quickly, okay? I'll shine the luster of my sword at you to let you know. That or Kirin could just watch me through her binoculars." I continued. It was agreed. I would go in first and take out the two and then they'd come running. That's where we'd wait.

I ran as fast as I could over, hiding every now and then behind whatever I could find to shield me from enemy sights. I finally got there and stalked the gunner. As he patrolled, the lookout was watching him. I had to wait for just the slightest moment of distraction, and strike. When that happened, I'd have to take them both out. If I didn't the lookout would spot his partner missing and call for backup that I really didn't want. The moment finally came when the lookout was looking elsewhere, probably at some other suspicious looking people. I quickly relinquished my hideout and sprung as quickly as possible on the gunner, swatting his face with the flat side of my blade. Then, I speedily scaled the wall and grabbed the still distracted lookout, throwing him to the floor below me. When he landed, my foot was inches away, and I stomped on him hard, knocking him unconscious. Finally, I dragged the two bodies to where I had been hiding. "At ease, soldiers!" I mock commanded, making a salute before moving back out into the open.

I watched for the sun's position and figured out what angle I needed to put my sword to glimmer it over to my friends. I don't know if they saw or if it was just Kirin who watched and told them mission accomplished, but whatever the situation, they arrived shortly. "So, now the gang's all here." I stated. "Yup, and we're ready to kick some butt." Kirin added. "Great job Tidus. Now we just wait." Rothel concluded, spying to see if anyone was headed our way. "Galte cannot wait until soldiers get here. Galte pound him into dirt." The Ronso roared mightily. "Well, while you're on that, please be a little more quiet. Otherwise, they'll know we're here and they'll storm us." I said. "So how long do we have to wait like this? I'm already bored." Kirin whined. Rothel quickly made a shush sound and said, "Hush it up guys. Ya don't wanna get caught now, ya know? C'mon, waitin's the best part. Then we get to think up lots of stuff to do to the poor scrub that walks over here." And so we waited, eager to show off our various talents and techniques on whoever should travel across our path… so long that he's a Bevelle soldier with a death-wish.

Not too long after, a squad went out to patrol and a few soldiers came over to us, probably trying to get in a little chat with the two guards I took out earlier. Galte was the first to strike. He grabbed one by the head, lifted him off the ground, and used him to bat the other, toppling both and probably snapping the prior's neck in the process. As for the rest of us, we became clean-up, dragging the two bodies over to join their friends. We made sure that all four were tied up and gagged so that they wouldn't give us away once they woke up. "How Galte do?" The Ronso asked Rothel. "Ya did great pal. Couldn'ta done it better myself." The blonde answered. "Alright, so we just wait some more?" I asked him. "Yea. What? You getting' bored?" Rothel replied. "No, just that I was thinking about where those other guys went. You know, the ones that didn't come here." I stated. "They probably went to attack Zanarkand. Don't worry. Our boys'll pick 'em off." He answered me with confidence.

The next set that came over was an entire squadron. They must have been sent to check up on their comrades, coming to figure out why they haven't been in contact for the past half hour. Once they arrived, they aimed all their artillery at us. "Don't worry guys. I could use the practice." I stated calmly, moving in front of my friends. "Shuyin! Get back here! You can't take out those men! They have guns!" Lenne and Kirin both screamed. "Who's Shuyin?" Rothel asked. "Uh… I meant Tidus. You get back here now!" Lenne cried. "Don't worry about me." I said, turning my attention back at those guards who abruptly fired. I watched each shot carefully, mentally pinpointing each location and swinging my sword that way. I deflected about three bullets back at the guard's heads and the rest just flew aimlessly elsewhere. "Focus all your fire on him!" One of the soldiers commanded. I quickly ran at them, deflecting whatever they threw at me and got to their center. Quickly, I swung low, tripping all of the ones within the range of my three-foot blade. That's when the cavalry arrived. Jurama began casting Hastega on me, as well as, Firaga on them. Galte pummeled a few close by. Lenne and Larea didn't summon Aeons this time around. After all, we had enough. Kirin began mauling a couple with her daggers and, wouldn't you know it, even Rothel got in the action, chucking his blitz ball at a bunch. With the Hastega spell on me, I moved twice as fast as before, hacking through a group of the soldiers with ease. After around two minutes, we had taken all of them down.

"That was some nice team work. Good job guys!" Rothel commented. "Shuyin, you could've been hurt back there. What if you were shot?" Lenne whispered to me. "Yea, Shu… er, Tidus! You could've gotten yourself killed. Why did you even try something like that!" Kirin added. "Takuma trained me to be able to deflect bullets. I was just practicing." I explained to the two girls. "Takuma? He's teaching you how to do that!" Lenne gasped. "Yea and don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing. He's a really good teacher." I defended. "Hey guys. Look there! I think we need ta be headin' back now, ya know?" Rothel suggested, pointing at smoke coming from behind Gagazet.

Zanarkand was being attacked. We needed to head back there and help. "Let's go!" I exclaimed, running off into the distance.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Hope

With the effects of Hastega still active, I was the first to reach Zanarkand. Around forty or so soldiers greeted me as I speedily approached. One of them took aim and tried to hit me, but overconfidence would be his, as well as his friend's undoing. I dodged the shot, rammed into the closest soldier, jumped on him and pushed off, made a flip, and crashed my sword into the assailant, finishing up with a leg sweep using my sword. I had half of them toppled before the rest even knew what was going on.

"Ah, blitzer. You've arrived." Zaon greeted me soon afterward. "Hello, Zaon. How goes the defensive?" I asked the gold-clad warrior. "Bevelle must be fools to think Zanarkand would fall this easily." Was his response. "Hopefully this war'll be over soon." I stated. Finally, my friends arrived. "Way to go Tidus. Ya kicked their sorry asses, bro." Rothel applauded as he reached me, throwing an arm around my neck. "Did you have to run off that quickly?" Kirin whined. All I could do was smile. I turned and saw that those soldiers I had taken down were recovering and the rest were fending off our own soldiers. "Let's go help, guys!" I suggested, running at the nearest enemy.

More of Bevelle's troops started piling in, about a hundred within my view. This was what I was expecting. I knew Bevelle wasn't a pushover. A hundred soldiers seemed right although, I was actually expecting machina. Our troops took aim and so did the opposition. Lenne and Larea started summonings and casting reflect on as many of us as possible. "Lenne, worry about yourself! I'll be fine!" I told her after I saw that she was casting many safeguard spells on me and protecting herself with very little. "Kinok can protect me. You only have your sword." She replied. "My sword can take out most of their bullets. What about you?" I said before the firing began. As if to spite my doubts, Kinok shielded Lenne from all the ammunition coming her way. Meanwhile, I saw many of our men falling under heavy fire and ran to help. With reflect, as well as my own sword skills, I managed to throw back all of Bevelle's rounds. They didn't stand a chance. Not to mention, Kirin had gotten some kind of grenade prepared and was blasting holes in their ranks left and right. Her boyfriend wasn't doing too badly either, what with his Firaga and Thundaga spells halting a lot of enemy fire. Flare and Demi were also working wonders, despite how weak the latter was. Bevelle was taking a serious beating and Zanarkand was on the offensive of their attack. "Take 'em all down!" Rothel yelled, chucking his blitz ball at a few and knocking them down hard. He sure had a mean throw. Kinok and Galte, as if obeying my best friend's order, charged at some guards. Galte got on the Aeon's tail and it catapulted him right into the center of the enemy's squadron. Then, Kinok cast Quakega on a few more soldiers. Using the new structure of the ground, I pushed off a jagged edge and flew into the air, landing on the shoulders of one of theirs. "Hiya!" I said to him, balancing myself on top of him. All his friends tried to get me off, but once they came close enough, I slashed them away. When the guy I was on tried to get smart with me, I just stomped on him and stopped his ploy. He couldn't get me off of him if it would mean that I would be back in the air and ready to pounce on his unstable form. Finally, I decided to give the guy a break. I leapt off his shoulders and landed with my legs grasping his neck. Spinning, I flipped him onto his head where his neck snapped in two. Hey, I said I gave him a break, right?

While I was busy having fun, Zaon was occupied with all of the remaining enemy fire. They were in trouble. Although we were taking down a lot, that hundred soon reinforced into a thousand. I saw that Galte was having a fun time with his attack so, "Hey Galte! Look over there! Zaon needs you!" I shouted over to him. With a nod, he rushed over, ramming his claws into the nearest soldier and launching the body at a half-dozen others. The Ronso tore apart the bunch near Zaon's squad and I had nearly cleared my patch. With one last mid-swipe, I was ready to get to where they were, too. Lenne and Larea were casting Curagas everywhere and although most were healed, some were a little too far gone. We'd be needing a sending after this.

Many of Bevelle's people were on the ground, bloodied, battered, and dead. Still, more came. I had no idea why they weren't using anything more powerful. I was sure Bevelle was capable of it. They had machina designed for war, didn't they? That didn't really matter then. What mattered was that some of their troops were still standing and not retreating and more were on the way.

"Tidus, you and me. Let's team blitz them, eh?" Rothel suggested. "Sure! Let's go for it!" I replied. Team blitz was Rothel's nice way of saying that the two of us would pound them with a really great move we'd developed for the game a while back. He moved into position and kicked down a guy. Hurling the blitz ball at the fallen soldier's face, he got it to ricochet into the air. It was my turn. I jumped on another soldier and pushed off of him, getting myself directly above the ball. I spun and kicked it slightly forward, sending it down at a high speed. The thing hit a group of confused soldiers and went back into the air. Rothel jumped up and punched it back to me, letting it bounce once on the ground, hitting a few more troops. When the ball got back to me, I spun sideways and kicked it under where Rothel was beginning his fall. It took out those under him and bounced back to his hands. After the two of us landed, we had knocked out about three-dozen men. "Nice team work!" I exclaimed, giving my bud a five and hugging him. "Hey, nice yaself, eh?" He responded.

Kirin was charged and ready for one of her overdrives. I just love that word I made up. I'd have to ask Rothel later what his could be. Anyway, Kirin took out her bladed blitz ball, spun it around with her finger and tipped it in the air, quickly falling on her back and spring boarding off her arms, kicking the ball with both her feet. The ball went speeding into a bunch of the soldiers before exploding as a finale. That blew a nice chunk in their army. Afterwards, she kept moving, stabbing and slashing at whoever she could reach. For such a cute girl, she was very tough, as well.

Lenne's Kinok and Larea's Odin were starting to weaken, Odin's horse losing one of its six legs and Kinok getting netted. The summoners weren't anywhere near them, though, so they'd fall soon enough. I'd make that a long 'soon enough.' Charging toward them, I cut Kinok loose and fended off any soldier that tried to hack at the horse's legs. With a show of appreciation, the two Aeons used their overdrives in sync. Odin grabbed both joists and pointed them up in the air. Kinok burrowed his tail underground. Lightning shot from the sky and hit the two staffs, running down into Odin's body. Meanwhile, the earth around us began to tremble. Odin sent out a wave of electricity at Bevelle just when the earth grabbed at them, beginning to pull them under. First they were electrocuted, then they were buried alive. That's when, I decided I'd have to think up some good names for those two overdrives. I chose the names, Thor's Wrath to compliment Ixion's overdrive and Grasp of Gaia. Continuing on, the two Aeons made very helpful companions for me.

In the meantime, our two summoners had abandoned attacking and focused more on healing the wounded and reviving the unconscious. Even Kirin started making a bunch of Mega Potions instead of attacking. Looking over to my left, I saw that Jurama was helping Zaon. His high level black magic was felling plenty of Bevelle's officers. To my right, Rothel had found Galte and the two were having fun embarrassing Bevelle. Focusing back on my end, Kinok was using his Spike Tail technique to bash some more enemies. Odin, meanwhile, was hesitating. The loss of its leg must have seriously stalled it. I noticed more troops were going for it again so I made a goal to stand in their way. They tried to shoot me. That was a big mistake. With all that Takuma had taught me, there was no possible way they'd get through with their shots. Not only that, but I was deflecting those bullets right back at them so they were shooting themselves, those fools. After a few minutes, they finally realized that and stopped going after Odin, leaving me alone also. Instead, they went after Kinok. That was, likewise, a bad move. Kinok simply let himself be shot. Its hide was so thick, it'd take thousands of rounds to actually cause some damage. Its only weak spot was its belly and it never exposes its belly. With a few swings of its tail and a few more stomps of its giant legs, Kinok made a physical statement of Bevelle's folly.

Rothel joined up with Larea at that point, letting the Ronso find his way to Jurama to help him out. Rothel and Larea, who'd of thought. When I first met Larea, I figured her to be another stuck-up summoner. Instead, she was turning out to be like Lenne. Perhaps she was secondary to the summoner craft, as well. That could have made a difference. Anyway, although I'd made my peace with Yunalesca, I still knew they'd never think of me as anything more than entertainment for idiots. I'd love to show them up, but unfortunately, they'd never understand how much intelligence is required to play blitz. Sure, I don't read as many books, but Rothel and I are the team's top two coordinators. We make sure to calculate the angles and the various probable placements of the opposing team's guys. That way, we could devise several strategies that are useable in many situations. For instance, that team blitz move we pulled-off earlier; that doesn't just come from the handbook. In any case, Yunalesca and those other summoners didn't realize that summoners aren't the only ones with brains on Spira. There were plenty of thinkers, probably even more intellectual than they were. Larea would probably understand that. Lenne, I know does.

An hour passed and my stamina was waning. This soldier needed to take a break. The two Aeons noticed this and took it upon themselves to be my guardians. Standing at either side of me, they watched for anything that came our way. Too bad that what came our way was a little too much for them. After several minutes, Odin fell, losing the rest of its legs and even one of its joists. Kinok was netted again and the soldiers managed to get it turned over, hitting its underside again and again until pyreflies started to appear. I was left alone and vulnerable. Fatigue slowed me down. I looked around and saw that even Rothel was wearing down. Galte was still as pumped as ever, dumb Ronso fortitude. Jurama was still going at it, casting spells being much easier on one's stamina than running around hitting things with a piece of metal. I didn't find Lenne anywhere, but I did notice that Larea was casting Hastega on Rothel along with a Full Cure. The guy perked right up, still sweating and tired, but at least able to fight some more.

The soldiers surrounded me and I figured I'd be taken as a POW since I couldn't fight back. I closed my eyes and let my fate be decided for me when suddenly, I heard them scream followed by a massive roar. "Bahamut?" I asked no one, opening my eyes. Lenne stood next to the dragon, casting a few spells. They were Hastega, Full Cure, and Reflect. Then, my beautiful songstress came over and offered a hand, after Bahamut had scared all the Bevelle troops away. I took her hand and picked myself off the ground. "Thanks." I said to her. "I thought you'd need a little pick-me-up so I came over and found you." She said with a smile. I smiled back.

Meanwhile, Bahamut's Impulse was putting a serious hurting on the soldiers surrounding us and just his wings flapping at higher speeds was enough to throw the enemy for a loop. I nodded to Lenne and the both of us went back into action, Lenne throwing Black Magic all over the soldiers while I gathered enough for some Force Rain. Absorbing the energy around me, I leaped into the air and sent a wave at some of Bahamut's pursuers. Likewise, the Aeon planted itself on the ground, charged up energy in its mouth, and sent the blast directly next to the beam I had let loose. MegaFlare was a perfect compliment to my Force Rain. Both our overdrives worked beautifully together. After I landed back on the ground and Bahamut had unanchored itself from it, I put myself on its back and it lifted me into the air, soaring higher and higher. Then, at the peak of its climb, Bahamut went into a dive bomb, zooming at a horrific speed down at those shocked men from Bevelle. I followed suite, back-flipping off Bahamut when he was close enough to the ground. The Aeon continued along its path, clawing at all the soldiers he passed or just ramming them with its head. I, in the middle of my back-flip, uncoiled and threw my sword above my head, turning my body into disc blade, cutting into anyone who got in my way. When I landed, I was balancing myself on my sword. A few tried to knock me down, but I just pogo'd my way onto one, kicked off, and stabbed the other. When he fell, I flipped back to my feet, pulling my sword out of his body as I did so.

I looked around again, this time seeing almost a sea of bodies. I hadn't even any idea which were Zanarkand's and which were Bevelle's. This was horrible, but Bevelle had challenged us and we couldn't just surrender. Something told me that Bevelle isn't the type that would take surrender as a sign to stop fighting. These wars are so stupid. They are fought for the dumbest reasons and in the end all you really get is a body count. It was because of Bevelle that I had to fight like this. The original reason for my training was to defend myself and Lenne. I was doing that, too, but not exactly against what was originally intended. These guys weren't fiends. They weren't unsent. These people were alive and fighting about what? The loss of a blitzball game? Some stupid pride? I didn't understand what the point of this was. So Zanarkand was the greatest city from here to Besaid. So the Abes won the world championship and took home the cup fifteen years running. They could have spent more time improving their players and developing more luxuries instead of war machines. But no, they chose to go to war with us. It was that kind of mind set that really threw me and angered me. What would this war gain Bevelle anyway? They'd lose tons of their men and have costs soar to the extremes. Even if they'd win, would it be worth it?

An explosion and flying bodies caught my attention and I was back in the battle. Some troops were giving Lenne a hard time and Bahamut was tiring. I rushed over and slashed the backs of those not paying me any mind. Then, I got in front of Lenne and waited for their move. They probably remembered my earlier assaults and backed away, off to look for easier targets. They found them in our own troops, firing and killing many. Bahamut roared back into action, worn as it was. The dragon just wouldn't stay put and recover. I stayed by Lenne, seeing if she'd been hit. "I'm fine. Reflect really helps. They couldn't get to me so they just decided to wait until my spell wore out. I'm out of magic. I have to rest a little." She told me. "That's okay. You stay here. I'll watch over you. Don't worry, you can count on me. My sword's just as good as any reflect." I boasted, giving her my infamous grin. She smiled and rested her head on my chest. With Bahamut attacking soldiers left and right, I had the time to comfort my love and didn't have to go off to fight for a while. It gave me a chance to recuperate, as well.

After a few minutes, I was back up and Lenne was, well, still recovering. In any case, I had to get up because we were being attacked again. A small battalion had found us and I was needed to keep Lenne safe while she regained her magic. Looking past my attackers, I noticed that even Larea and Jurama had begun to run out of magic, Ju casting his last Ultima before collapsing onto one knee. Rothel was caring for his summoner who had lost her strength and was leaning on him for support. We were all running on empty and seriously needed a breather. To keep Lenne safe, I started slashing away at all my enemies before me, taking extra care to deflect the bullets that were aimed for Lenne and not worrying so much about the bulk that were headed for me. A few managed to graze me slightly and I didn't let it bother me. "I'll be fine. Take better care of yourself, Shuyin!" Lenne pleaded, but I ignored her. She was the one who was defenseless and she was the one I had to take as my number one priority. Likewise, whenever I'm hurt, she'd always come to my aid before tending to herself. That's what happens when you're in love. You don't matter. What matters is the one your heart skips a beat for. I kept up my defensive and took to the offense whenever a situated opportunity came up. That would be when some idiot soldier actually tried using the blade portion of his weapon. The rest would stop firing and let the lone soldier fight me. Of course, when matching swordplay, I'm no pushover. These guys didn't seem to realize that. It would go under the list of their follies.

Finally, the dimwits got wise and started attacking me with their blades together. Simple enough for me, though. These army boys were amateurs compared to the guy that was trained by the unsent warrior Takuma. A brave one started us off, taking a wild swing at my right. I dodged that one easily, as well as, the next one to my middle. I wasn't making any offense at all and they couldn't land a single hit on me. Two decided to double-team me and stab me on both sides, but I merely had to jump straight up and those two fools stabbed each other. When I landed, my floor was their collapsed bodies. "C'mon guys, you can't all be that bad, can you?" I mocked the rest. Getting them steamed would screw up their concentration and with their pitiful skills, that's the last thing they needed. Sure enough, they all came recklessly at me. Poor guys. I'd feel sorry for them if they weren't here to demolish my home. Whirling my sword around, I pretty much tore through them as they threw themselves on me. Like lambs to the slaughter, each of them fell.

When all was said and done, I was in the middle of a giant pile of carcasses. More were on the way. Larea had regained her footing somewhat, but Rothel was leading her to safety. Kirin was back in it; the girl just doesn't know what fatigue is. Ju wasn't looking so hot; his magic must have still been pretty low. Couldn't really blame him though. After all, casting a million spells at once does take a lot out of a guy. Galte was no different than Kirin. Do Ronso ever tire out? It was like his body runs on the smell of fresh meat. Every soldier he tore open pumped him up that much more. I looked back at Lenne and saw that she was still in no position to fight. Perhaps I should've gotten her to safety like Rothel did, but at the time, I'm pretty sure she'd resist. I charged back in and deflected more gunfire. Some of the troops were signaling to go for Kirin, probably an attempt to take down the overzealous yet smallest of us. They knew I'd be difficult and that'd mean Lenne would be hard to get to also. Then, there was the Ronso and I'm pretty sure they'd wanna stay away from him. Therefore, they only had one choice left and that was my cute friend. "Kirin! Heads up!" I shouted over, making my way to her. I looked back to see if anybody was playing possum and wanted me to leave Lenne's side, but they had given up on my summoner. I needed to help Kirin. "Hey Shuyin. So, how's it goin' for you?" She asked between dodges and counters. "Eh, these guys are chumps. What about you?" I replied, gutting some random guy that ran at me like the imbecile he was. "Well, Ju's pretty pooped. I'm probably gonna have to get him out of here before long. I don't want him to get hurt." She said. "Well, did you try an ether? Maybe that's all he needs." I asked. "Nah, I tried that. He's drained. I need to get him somewhere so he can rest." She told me. "Go on then. I can handle it." I said. With a nod, she backed away from the fight and went over to her boyfriend. He reluctantly accepted his removal, and with Kirin's prodding, he walked with her behind friendly lines.

"Looks like I got all you boys for myself. Bring it!" I mused, brandishing my everlasting cockiness. As much as I'd like to blame it on Tidus, the fact was, Jecht's son isn't so far off from Jecht. My ploy got most of them upset and they began to charge at me. I readied my position and looked for my first opening. The first attack came from head on, a stiff slash to my right. Moving over a bit and dodging it caused the guy to lose his balance so I quickly made a sidespin and slashed the back of his waist. Looking at the numbers ahead, I realized that once I got enough adrenaline in me to use an overdrive, Hit Run would be perfect. Two more came at me at once, making a stupid stab attempt. They both were going for my middle so I simply ducked and slid behind them. By the time they turned to hit me again, they were missing heads. "Now you guys are in for a big surprise." I laughed. Running at them, I slashed again and again, moving too quickly for them to counter and confusing them with my excessive twists and turns. When I had finished with my move, around twenty or so of them dropped, bleeding profusely. "Any more wanna play?" I asked them, purposely pushing for them to come. None complied. Instead, they all went after Galte, as if he was any safer.

My cockiness actually got the better of me, though. I was so busy watching the soldiers in front of me running that I didn't even realize that one was still behind me. When I turned, he was already on top of me, a mere second from stabbing me through. Suddenly, the guy started screaming and his back lit on fire. I looked past him and saw that Lenne had cast Fire on the guy. "Sorry, but seems like Lenne's on fire tonight." I joked, spinning around and decapitating the soldier on my way around. He dropped to the ground, his body continuing to burn.

Finally, seeing how Zaon's troops weren't dwindling any longer and that Galte and I weren't going anywhere, Bevelle conceded the battle. Zanarkand had won. "Lenne, are you okay?" I asked my love. "Yea, I'm fine. Where are Kirin and the others?" She asked me. "Don't worry. They're fine. Here, I'll take you to them right now." I replied. Together we walked over to a small encampment that had been set up for the soldiers to use as a home for the time being. "So, how's Ju, Kirin?" I asked the blonde once we arrived. "He's doing much better. Right now he's meditating so don't bother him." "Don't worry, I wouldn't want to see a naked man floating around anyway." I replied, insinuating my view on nudist meditation. "Let's go find Rothel." She said. "No need ta find me. I'm already here. So, you summoners, ah? You guys do a lot o' damage wit them Aeons, eh?" The third blonde to our little group said as he approached. "Yes, Aeons are very powerful allies." Lenne replied. The four of us conversed a bit and were joined by Larea.

After a while of chatting, Lenne got an idea and got us all closer to our soldiers. "This is Zanarkand's first military victory in a long while. I believe that we should celebrate that, don't you?" She said to the men. They each looked at one another and at Lenne and nodded. With a confirmation nod of her own, Lenne began to sing, "I e yu i, No bo me no, Re n mi ni, Yo ju yo go, Ha se te ka na e, Ku ta ma e." The rest began to sing the somewhat solemn victory song along with their favorite songstress. Even Kirin, Rothel, Larea, and the returning Jurama started to sing. I watched on with great pride. There was hope in Zanarkand's victory. We'd beaten Bevelle. After a while, even I got into it, my voice coming out a lot better than it used to be. Spending so much time singing with Lenne was vastly improving my once horrid voice. "I e yu I." I sang. "No bo me no." Lenne followed, coming to me with a hug to show she was happy I was singing, too. We sang for our victory. We sang in respect of the lives lost that day. We sang to spite Bevelle in its failed attempt to beat us. They'd have to try a lot harder if they wanted to take us down. "Re n mi ni." Kirin chimed in. "Yo ju yo go." Larea continued. "Ha se te ka na e." Rothel followed up with our Ronso friend. If more battles could go like today's, we'd have no problems with this war. Together we finished the song, "Ku ta ma e."


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Wartime Recreation

"Bevelle attacks have yet to cease and our supplies are running low. We ask that all citizens of Zanarkand ration their food consumption and donate whatever metals they can find. We asked Yu Yevon for any additional comments." The reporter on my SV said, switching over to some footage. "Ah yes. People of Zanarkand, fear not. Bevelle will be vanquished and Zanarkand will return to peace. I have no doubt in my mind that my general, also my son in law, Zaon, can handle this matter. Also, I'd like to ask that each citizen to kindly give the military facility, temporarily housed in the Bovana Lounge, any metals you could spare. We will stop Bevelle, but we need your support. Thank you. That is all." Yu Yevon had said. "We hope that all of you will comply... In other news..." She continued. I didn't want to hear anymore so I turned it off.  
  
There had to be something I could do to help our efforts in taking down Bevelle. An idea hit me. Actually, it should've hit me a long time ago, but apparently, it just didn't occur to me until then. "I'm such an idiot!" I shouted aloud. Quickly I went to my comsphere and contacted Lenne. "Lenne?" I asked once I saw an image. "Shuyin? What is it?" She replied. "I just thought of something we could do to help out with the war!" I told her. "What? What could we do that we haven't yet?" She asked. "Gil! We're all rather full of that, right? I'm filthy rich with it. You're loaded, too. Heck, we're all rather wealthy. Me, Kirin, Rothel, and the others are all blitzers. We've got tons amongst us. You're a songstress, the best in all of Zanarkand. Ju's got some, too. I'm sure if we all pitch in, we'd have enough to build a massive army for the home team!" I exclaimed, extremely overzealous in my speech. "You're right. I guess since we really don't use too much of our gil, we just never realized it. Your house is very plain. You hardly decorate at all. We must have just forgotten about all that extra finance." She said. "Right, well, now we can put it to some good use. I'll call Rothel; you call Kirin. Then I'll get Kion and Vena in on it, too. Don't forget to tell Kirin to ask Jurama! I'll talk to you later. In fact, tell Kirin to meet us all at Bovana Lounge." I told Lenne. "Okay, I'm on it! See you later!" Lenne said, shutting off her comsphere. I called Rothel immediately after, "Rothel! C'mon man, pick up!" "What? What is it, bro?" He replied, groggily getting to his comsphere. "I just realized a great way we could help with the war effort." I said. And I told him my wonderful idea, followed by telling him to meet me at the lounge and etc. Then, I called up Vena, followed by Kion, which was a twofer since surprisingly, Vena was at Kion's house.  
  
Next, I called up my accountant. I had no idea what I did with all those paychecks from blitz. I hired myself a guy to do all that stuff for me. I must have around forty or so accounts floating around that I don't even know about. "Hello?" He asked. "Hi! It's Tidus. I got something I need you to do, if it isn't too much trouble." I said. "What is it?" He asked. "I need you to get whatever gil I've got and withdraw it from my accounts. I'm going to donate it to the war fund." I told him. "What?! You mean all..." some number I didn't care to remember, "...of it?!" He said. "Yup, every last bit. I have enough spending gil to last me until I'm an old man." I told him. "Well, that's true, but the paperwork... I'll get on it." He said with a groan. I knew I was putting him through a lot so, "You know what? As a payment, you can have one of those accounts. Anyone you want. How's that?" I asked him. "What?! You mean you're paying me with one of your fullest accounts?! That's over..." again some number I cared not to hear, "That's crazy!" He finished. "I know, I know. Like I really care. I've got enough. You can have it. Just make sure the rest goes to the war fund. Maybe we can get some up to date machina and weapons for this war. That way, we might save some lives." I told him. "I understand. I'll get on it right away!" He replied, disconnecting.  
  
I got to the lounge after Kirin and Lenne. "Hey guys! Glad you could make it, Kirin. So we all set?" I asked them both. "You betcha!" Kirin replied. "I'm ready, too. My accountant should be here soon with the paperwork." Lenne added. "Great! Same here!" I said. "Yesterday, we so kicked butt!" Kirin shouted abruptly. "You got that right. We took Bevelle down hard!" I added. "But haven't you two been hearing the news? After we left, Bevelle came back and kept attacking us. I don't know how long they can last. Yu Yevon doesn't seem concerned, but I am." Lenne said. "I know. I agree with you, believe me, but we have to look positive. If we've gotta fight, then we'll fight our hardest. If we have to lose, we'll lose after we've done them in as many times as we can." I told her. "I agree. If we could only get a break. Zanarkand's not equipped for war." She said, looking down. "Hey, don't worry. I was the one with the doubts, right? Even I'm convinced that Zanarkand has a chance at victory." I replied, trying to lift her spirits. "Shuyin's right. I think we can beat them. It'll be tough, but we'll win!" Kirin jumped in. "You damn right we gonna win. There ain't no way I'ma let Zanarkand fall cause of some stupid city like Bevelle." Rothel stated, making his new presence known. "Rothel! So, you got your gil?" I asked. "No problem, eh? My guy's got it. He'll bring it here soon, ya know?" He replied. I nodded, "Wonder where Kion and Vena are. Oh! We forgot to tell that new guy! What was his name again? Ugh, I keep forgetting." I said. "Ya mean that kid, Haru? Oh well. He shoulda thought of that himself, ya know?" Rothel commented. "I guess so. Well, it's just that I never even really got to know the guy. I hope he doesn't fell left out." I said. "Nah, don't worry about Haru. I'm sure he doesn't even care." Kirin suggested, patting me on the chest.  
  
After about an hour, all of our accountants arrived with large stacks of paperwork. "Sign here, and here, and here, date it, and next..." They each said to one of us. This whole process lasted us past when Kion and Vena showed up. Kion's hair was messed up more than usual and Vena was breathing a little heavily. "You guys look terrible. What happened to you two?" I asked with a smile. Rothel snickered off to the side and I was completely unaware. "Oh, you know Tidus. It's all that traffic and fans and stuff." Vena hap-heartedly explained. "Oh, but..." I started, but chose to let it go. It was just that, shouldn't they have come in a hover? If they did, they wouldn't have to deal with fans. And if they went on foot, there wouldn't be traffic. I didn't get it, but I didn't think on it too much. I finished signing all of my account closings after what seemed like hours. I had no idea I had that many! My arm felt like it would fall off once I was all done. "There we are. Thank you Tidus. All your accounts have now been completely cleaned out and all of their contents have been donated to the war effort." My accountant said. "Great, now, ya think you can help me get a cast for my broken arm?" I joked. Once everyone was done, we all needed to take five. "Wow, that was harsh!" Kirin whined. "Tell me about it, right? I don't know how many damn papers I had to sign. Geez, my arm's gone numb." Rothel groaned. "Dude, I like so need a smoke right now. Later." Kion said in his usual unnaturally calm demeanor. "Kion, wait up! I'll see ya guys! Bye Kir, Rothie, T." Vena said, rushing off to catch up with the stoner of the Abes. They left us just as Jurama arrived. "Hi everyone. I'm sorry I'm so late." Ju said. "No problem. You got your gil?" I said. "Yea. It's right here." He said, finishing up by conjuring up some kind of ball thing. He went over to the donations area and made the ball thing disappear, freeing all of his gil from it. "Wow! That would've come in handy! What's that?" I asked the black mage. "It's just a simple containment sphere. I created the spell myself." He replied. "That could come in handy." Another latecomer, Larea, said. "Hey L." Rothel said to greet his summoner. "Hi Larea." The rest of us chimed in. "Hello everyone!" She responded warmly with a smile and a wave.  
  
"So how do you make one of those containment spheres?" Lenne asked Ju, changing the subject back. "Oh, it's very simple. Close your eyes... Wait. First, have the thing you want to put in the sphere in front of you. I've done this a million times so I just have to know what I want in it, but you guys should have some visual aid." He instructed Lenne and Larea. "Hey, can I get into this?" I asked, just taking a wild stab at using magic. "Uh, are you capable of utilizing magic? I doubt it. Sit down." He said with a wave. All the girls gave me that "aw, poor baby" look. "Okay, you done? Alright. Now, watch me and remember, you have to focus on what you're planning on putting in that sphere." He continued. Lenne and Larea both closed their eyes and did these wavy hand moves that I tried to mimic while focusing on probably the dumbest thing in the world, Ju's pants. If it worked, I'd have a ball thing and Ju would be down a pair of lower-body wear. As I did the hand things, Kirin moved over to me and put her face where I was moving my hands. Halfway through, I was feeling her cheeks and nose, so I opened my eyes and she gave me a wide grin. "Kirin!" I shouted, not amused by her prank. "Well, it's not like air feels any better!" She playfully stated. "You know that wasn't what I was going for! Argh, I'm never gonna get the hang of magic." I groaned in defeat. I heard four sets of laughter. There were three females and one male... Ju and the girls were all mocking me. I turned and growled at the lot, "Alright, laugh it up! I still got my swordplay and blitz talent so ha!" Turning, I pretended to be upset, crossing my arms and looking away from them.  
  
"Oh, Shuyin. You know we didn't mean it." Lenne said to comfort me. "Shuyin?" I heard a few voices say. Dammit, I knew I couldn't keep this from those I consistently talked with. Sooner or later, especially since Lenne had never really called me Tidus very frequently, people would figure it out. I didn't have to worry about Kirin. She'd practiced enough whenever we blitzed. After all, whenever there was a game, Kirin always called me Tidus. She'd gotten used to it while Lenne was still stuck with having to second think the procedure. "Uh, no, uh... Well... Shu... uh..." I began to stammer, trying desperately to come up with something. "Tidus? You ain't Tidus, are ya?" Rothel asked suspiciously. "Well... that... You see... um..." Was all I could come up with. "It's my mistake. I just got used to another guy named Shuyin and..." Lenne said to cover for me. "No Lenne. It's okay. I mean, how long did I expect to keep this up, right? Guys, my real name is Shuyin. I'm sorry I never said that, but... I just... well..." I tried to explain. I mean it isn't really too easy to tell your best friend and some other people that you've been lying to them for who knows how long. "It's okay, bro." Rothel said after I paused for the umpteenth time. "You mean you aren't pissed at me? I did kinda lie to you." I asked him cautiously, expecting him to come over to me and smack me. "Nah. So you got a different name. You the same guy, ya know? Why I gotta be mad?" He explained. I felt that warm feeling inside when something like that happens. "Aw, you mean it? You aren't mad at all?" I continued to ask. "Tidus, er, Shuyin... I'm gonna have to get used ta that. No problem, bro. I'm fine wit this." He said. I nodded and thought for a moment. "Well, there's something you have to do then. You know, right? Well, I kinda still had my reasons for keeping Shuyin a secret. So if you don't mind... could you make sure you don't call me Shuyin out in public?" I asked him. "No problem, bro. After all, I'ma call ya Tidus anyway. It's like a habit, ya know? I know you as Tidus. I'ma have a real hard time thinkin' ta call ya Shuyin." He replied. "Wait, I'm still a little confused. So, you aren't Tidus, the guy I hardly even knew. You're Shuyin, another name I barely know. I'm going to have to remember that name now? I tried so hard to remember Tidus!" Larea complained. "No, don't worry about it. Just call me Tidus. It'll actually make things easier." I told her. Ju was awfully silent. "Hey, Ju! You don't seem to be surprised. Why's that?" I asked him. "First of all, I really don't care too much. Second, Kirin let me in on that little secret a long while back. I just never thought about calling you Shuyin because you've made yourself known as Tidus." He replied.  
  
After a while, this news just stopped being important. I guess that my friends were a little too close to me to let a little lie like that destroy such a strong bond. I should've believed in that bond, too. I would've told Rothel so much sooner had I known he'd respect my decision, but I was afraid. Kirin was the only one I trusted and there was a little story behind that one, too. Later on, I trusted Lenne with my secret. That was due to the fact that I fell in love with her and in my mind, love shouldn't have any secrets holding it back. That probably gave away the Kirin thing. Yea, I had a crush on her a couple of years back. That was partly the reason why I found it difficult to tell Lenne what kind of friend Kirin was to me. I'm glad she thought up the whole sister thing, but I didn't really know if that was all it was meant for. I don't even feel like saying any more about this so...  
  
Anyway, the lot of us decided that we should chill out for the day, have some fun. Nothing really inspired me, but Rothel came up with the idea to go to Besaid for the day and hand out at the beach. That sounded like a plan and we all headed to our individual houses to get swim gear. Well, all except Larea. For some reason, she said she couldn't make it. Anyway, the rest of us were going. Of course, I'd normally just use the blitz stuff I had on, but I used that for casual clothing. Why would I want to wear casual stuff when I could break out in some trunks? I got back to my place and looked around my drawers for them. I finally found them... after turning my room into a cloth desert. Pushing my way out, I grabbed the trunks and a nice little T-shirt and got back to my hover. Then I realized I didn't even get my beach stuff on me and I went back inside. Guess I was a little excited. Anyway, after a few minutes I was back out. By then, Rothel was outside, waiting up on me with his hover-cruiser. I never understood about those things. They look great in movies and all, but actually riding one is a little more dangerous and less cool. "Hey, you done yet?" He yelled over. "Yea, I'm all set. You're the only one here?" I asked. "Yea. Kirin and Ju's already there. I don't know 'bout Lenne, though. Hey, c'mon, let's go already, ya know?" He shouted back over. "Right! I'm coming!" I said with a wave and hopped into my hover.  
  
The two of us raced to somewhere until we realized that... Besaid was an island and we'd need either a boat or an airship to get there. "Um, where are we driving to?" I asked him. "Besaid, ya know? Remember the beach?" He replied, completely oblivious to my sarcastic question. "Rothel, we need an airship!" I yelled. Immediately, my blitz buddy stopped his cruiser and smacked his forehead. "Ah, I knew I forgot somethin'. Now what?" He huffed. "Look, you said Kirin's already there, right? Well, just give her a call and ask her how she got there. I wonder how Lenne's getting there. I'll give her a call, too." I said. So I called Lenne and Rothel called Kirin. "I'm there, too. Kirin told me that she and Jurama wanted to go ahead so she told me that I could get a ride with some Al Bhed that Damusa knows." Lenne told me. "Hey T! Kirin just said that Damusa's got an airship! They went on his, ya know? She said she'll get Damu to come get us right now, ya know? We all set!" Rothel shouted over, forcing me to put Lenne on hold. "Okay! I got it! Lenne just told me the same thing!" I shouted back over, waving him away so that I could go back to Lenne. "So Damusa's got an airship? And he knows some Al Bhed? Is that how you and Kirin got to Besaid the last time?" I asked. "Yea. Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you about that." She replied. "It's not your fault. Remember what happened then? I came over and then Trista showed up? I'm not surprised you forgot about your trip. The girl did try to kill me." I said. I could hear Lenne's forced laugh from the other line. She had wanted to forget that memory. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. Anyway, I'll be there soon, k?" I said. "Okay! I'll be waiting." She replied with a kiss into the speaker to finish. Love you... dammit. I still couldn't say it...  
  
After an hour or so, Damusa arrived. At first, me and Rothel hadn't a clue it was him, but he kinda made his presence known. "HEY GUYS!!!" His voice screamed loudly over the external intercom. "Ow, my ears!" The both of us yelled. Damusa landed and got out of the airship to greet us a little more properly. "Sorry guys. Forgot how loud that thing is. I should remind myself next time not to shout into it." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "That's okay. Just remind me ta kick ya when my ears stop ringin', ya know?" Rothel groaned. With a nod, Damu led us into his ride. "Hey, sorry about what happened the last time I saw you. How is the guy?" I asked. "You mean the guy you nearly killed? Yea, he's okay. And don't worry about me. I forgive you." He replied. "Wha happened the last time ya saw him?" Rothel asked for obvious reasons. He's my best friend. Why would I hide anything from him? "The last time I saw Damu, we were in Bevelle and well... I kinda had a run-in with a guy and..." I started to say. "And he beat the guy to a pulp. I had to get him to a hospital. He had a fractured spinal disk. He'll be able to walk again, but that just shouldn't have happened." Damusa told him. "You whooped a Vellie? Good goin', bro! That'll teach 'em to punk out Zanarkand, ya know?" Rothel congratulated me. "Rothel, I'm not exactly proud of it. Look, I got mad and lost my temper. Besides, this was before the war started. I just didn't like his responses to my questions. Sorry, Damusa." I said solemnly. "Hey, Tidus. No problems, ya know? Who cares if this didn't happen during the war? The guy messed wit ya and ya had to set him straight, ya know?" He said. "Whatever. Let's just get going, okay? Buckle up. We'll get to Besaid sooner than you can blink." Damusa interrupted, eager to get to Besaid Island.  
  
His statement wasn't for nothing. Within a matter of minutes, we were in Besaid. Of course, the guy did get up to two hundred thirty miles an hour. If I thought the ringing in my head was bad, the need to barf was much worse. "Are you okay, Shuyin?" Lenne said as she walked over to me after I left the airship. "I'll be fine. Just give me a minute." I stammered, wondering when my vision would return to normal as I stumbled around before falling. "Oh c'mon! My driving isn't that bad is it?!" Damusa yelled. "I thought the ride was fun!" Kirin's obvious answer came. "Oh, I highly disagree." Grumbled the voice of a weary black mage. "Aw c'mon! Stop raggin' on me!" Damu shouted.  
  
"So, where are those Al Bhed that brought you here?" I asked Lenne when I could stand again. "Oh, they're over there. I'll introduce you to them. They were really nice, although, I have to admit that I didn't really know what they were talking about until I got here and Kirin translated. One of them is trying to learn to speak to me, though." She replied, smiling as she finished. "Speak to you? As in, he's just learning it to be able to talk to you? I didn't know you had fans outside Zanarkand." I said. "Are you jealous? His name is Akoji and he's been to Zanarkand a few times. He went to a lot of my concerts. I guess he has a crush on me." She told me. "That's cool. Maybe I could offer you up for a lesson on how to drive an airship." I slyly stated with a smirk. "Shuyin!" She scolded. I began laughing hysterically and somebody came over to give me a shove. "Hey! What was that for?" I shouted, looking to see my assailant. It was some guy wearing goggles around his neck and trousers. The guy had tattoos all over him, a few of them saying Lenne. "Oh, so you must be Akoji." I said, still smirking. "Fryd tet oui cyo du Lenne?" He shouted, grabbing my collar. "Uh, what? I'm sorry, my Al Bhed's a little weak." I said, throwing my hands up in front of me to try and calm the guy down. "Cruf ran suna nacbald oui ycc! Udranfeca, E'mm buiht oui ehdu dra byjasahd!" He shouted some more, shaking me around in anger. "Look! I don't understand! What are you saying?!" I yelled back, completely confused as to what this guy was on about. "Lyms tufh! Cdub ed, Akoji! Drec ec Shuyin. Kaaw, ra's Lennie's puovneaht!" Kirin screamed at the Al Bhed, grabbing his arm to make him let go of me. He finally did and the two of them started yelling at each other in Al Bhed. "Kirin? Since when do you know Al Bhed?" I asked her. She ignored me, still mad at the guy for something or another. "Ra syta Lenne yhkno. Ev cra's syt, E's syt, duu!" Akoji yelled, pointing an angry finger at me. "Ra fyc zicd bmyoehk fedr Lenne. Dryd'c fryd drao tu. Ed'c lymmat ryjehk vih? Lyms tufh!" Kirin yelled back. I don't even know if they were yelling, but it sounded like it to me. "Veha, E keja. Cu, ruf'ja oui paah mydamo? Oui rumtehk ib ugyo fedr dryd Ju kio? Ev ra pudranc oui mega drec kio fyc pudranehk Lenne, zicd damm sa ugyo?" The Al Bhed said, more calmly this time. "Oh, you act like you're my brother too much!" Kirin said with a pout. "Me... trying... help you... E zicd tuh'd fyhd du caa oui kad rind." He said, trying to match Kirin's language, but failing and going back to his Al Bhed. "Aw, I know that. Oh, hey Shuyin. I forgot you and Lenne were still there." Kirin said with a grin.  
  
"Yea... I didn't know you spoke Al Bhed." I said, reiterating my earlier question. "Oh, yea. Since Damusa's Ju's best friend and he's always with a lot of Al Bhed, me and Ju decided it'd be best if we learned a little of it, too. A little while after, we just ended up learning all of it. It's almost become second nature for me. So how was your ride Lennie?" Kirin explained. "Oh it was fine. They made sure to go at a comfortable speed and Pally's a really great navigator." She replied. "Pally?" I asked. "Oh, right! I forgot about introductions with Akoji grabbing you from before. Pally's right over here." Lenne said, bringing me over to a much darker Al Bhed woman. "Re, Shuyin." She said, extending a hand. Shaking it, I said, "Well, reeay to you Pally!" I said, trying to try my hand at Al Bhed. Either I came on too strong, or I said something weird, or I totally confused the poor woman because she just froze, staring at me like I had three heads. "E drehg ra sayhd du cyo, re Pally." Kirin chimed in, most likely to cover for my lack of Al Bhed. With a small laugh, the Al Bhed woman nodded and went to talk to Akoji. "What was wrong with what I said?" I asked Kirin. "You mixed our lingo with Al Bhed. You confused her. Only Akoji is trying to learn and he's turning out horribly. Did you really think Pally was gonna get what you were saying? And you even said re wrong." She explained. "But I said it like she did. Oh forget it." I said with a huff. Both Lenne and Kirin giggled and each grabbed an arm, leading me over to the beach. "We'll be right back." They both said, running off again and leaving me with the guys on the sand.  
  
I lay down and yawned, staring up at the clouds that slowly drifted by. Suddenly, sand flew at my face. I heard lots of laughing and more sand hit me. "Hey! Who's doing that?" I yelled, then getting more sand thrown at me. "Gotta watch out, bro. Ya never know what'll come at ya these days, ya know?" Rothel mused. "Oh yea?" I asked with a smirk, picking up some sand, "I'll show you what to watch out for." I ran at him and slapped away some sand that he chucked at me. Finally, I got to him and tackled him to the ground, mashing the handful of sand I had all over his face. We fought around for a while until we rolled into Ju who looked condescendingly down at us. Both of us separated and bowed our heads like mischievous little kids. "Now you kids play nice or I'm going to have to throw fireballs at you." Ju joked. "Oh yea?" The both of us said, throwing a smirk the other's way. Rothel lunged up at Ju and I tackled his legs. "Now, who's gonna throw what at us again? I think it was us about to chuck globs of sand and bury you." I laughed. "You are so gonna get it, bro." Rothel added. "No! Ju! I'll save you!" Damusa shouted, running over and throwing himself at us both. We all landed with a crash and stayed like that for some time, mostly due to the fact that... that really hurt!  
  
"Are you boys done breaking your bones?" Kirin scolded, grinning at us with her arms to her waist. "Ha ha, very funny. Hey guys! Get off me!" I complained, kicking and pushing Damu and Rothel away so I could stand. After a few minutes, although we were covered in sand, we were all standing. I walked over to Lenne. "Wow, you look beautiful in that." I commented on her swimsuit. It was a two-piece and... that's about as far as I'll take it. Let's just put it this way. Kirin's the only one who wore less and she's the nudist. Could you just picture the big fat grin I must have had plastered to my face then?  
  
We hung out on the sand for a bit, playing some volleyball or chucking sand at one another. Then, me and Rothel, blitzers that we were, decided to go for a swim. "Wow, Lenne looks hot in that thing, ya know?" He said to me, poking me in the gut as we swam around. "Hey, don't get any ideas. I'll tell Larea you've been eyeing other woman!" I warned. He pretended to be completely scared of that and swam over to me, grabbing my hand and pleading, "No, don't tell her! I swear I won't look at your woman ever again! Just please don't tell L!" I couldn't help but laugh at that. Continuing the game, I said, "Don't worry. I would never dream of telling her." Then, I stuck out my hand like some kind of mob boss you'd see in a movie and he actually went all the way, giving it a kiss right on the ring finger. "Good, my friend. One day, I'll come to you for a favor. That day may never come, but if it does, I hope for your benefit, you will grant me that favor." I finished the skit off, patting him on the shoulder. We used to love those movies and watched them all the time. "So, you and Larea. Are you guys even that serious?" I asked. "I dunno. She's different, that I know. I just... I don't know what ta think, ya know? How did you know you was serious wit Lenne?" He said, asking me the question back. "How did I know? Oh, I knew right after the second date. It's just this kind of feeling you get. I don't even know how to explain it, but you just know that feeling. It makes you want to do anything for her." I explained. "I guess I still need some time ta figure that out, ya know? Maybe she ain't the one. Who knows? All I know is that she's the only girl I haven't slept with and stuck with her." He said. "Well, if she's the only girl that you don't have to have in bed with you, I'd say she's made an impact on ya." I suggested. "Yea, maybe." He shrugged.

Some hours later, we were indoors, ready to settle in for the night. We checked into one of their hotels that was as close to the beach as possible. Lenne and I were in one room, Kirin and Ju in a second, and Damusa was with the Al Bhed aboard the one of the airships. If Larea had come, it would've been her and Rothel, but maybe this was good for the guy. After all, he was confused about their relationship and a night together might end up on the wrong track. "Goodnight, Shuyin." Lenne said, bringing my mind back into my own room. "Goodnight, Lenne." I said back, gently lying down on the bed. Lenne fell asleep pretty quickly. I, on the other hand, was still thinking about two things. One was Rothel; the other was the war that we were still in back home. I hoped the financial aid we gave to them would help.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Unlikely Alliances

I woke up to Kirin jumping on top of me. "Kirin!" I yelled. She just giggled and moved onto Lenne. "Good morning, Kirin." Lenne sleepily said. "How did you get into our room anyway?" I asked. "Oh I have my ways." The blonde said with yet another giggle, hopping off of the bed and landing nimbly on the floor. "So get up already!" She whined. "Alright! I'm up. What time is it?" I asked groggily. "It's almost six!" She yelled. "Okay, I'm down again." I told her, collapsing back into the mattress. "Shuyin!" She complained, walking over to my side and grabbing my arm, struggling to get my heavier body up. Lenne just couldn't help but laugh. Finally, Kirin gave a big tug and ended up yanking me right onto the floor, together with half the blanket. "Ow…" I mumbled, trying to untangle myself. "Okay, your turn Lennie!" The girl chimed, skipping back over to the other side. I heard Lenne pretend to snore and Kirin began to make a really high-pitched squeal that probably could've shattered glass if she kept it up longer. Lenne continued to ignore it and stayed curled up with the remainder of our blanket. I was just about done untangling myself when… "Lennie!" Kirin whined, shaking Lenne's body to try and get her to get up. Then, Kirin paused to think for a moment, putting her finger on her cheek and looking up at the ceiling. "Lenne, I think she's up to something." I warned. However, it was too late. Kirin savagely went in and tickled Lenne mercilessly. "Oh the horror!" I mused. "Shuyin!" Lenne screamed in between giggles. "Wakey wakey!" Kirin chirped, tickling Lenne even more. "Shuyin, save me!" She cried, laughing and gasping for air at the same time. "Have no fear! Shuyin is here!" I proclaimed, rushing over to Kirin and tickling her. "Oh no! Wait! Stop it! Mercy!" Kirin shouted, her face turning red from all the laughing my tickling was producing. "Mercy? What's that?" I asked coyly, a fiendish smirk plastered to my face. "Have you learned your lesson, Kirin?" Lenne asked formally, acting like a judge. "Yes yes! Please, make him stop!" Kirin shouted, tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard. "Okay Shuyin. I think she's had enough." Lenne said with a nod. I let go of the girl who promptly fell onto one knee on the floor, gasping for air. "That's not fair! It was a double team! I want a rematch!" Kirin whined. Both me and Lenne laughed and went to freshen up.

"Hey, if you guys are done wakin' up everybody in this place, we got a whole day ahead of us, ya know?" Rothel said with a knock. "Be right there." I told him, pulling my shirt on, "There, all set." I walked over to Rothel and the two of us made it down the few flights of stairs to the lobby. We'd have waited for the seleva, but we had about as much patience as a chocobo with its tail lit on fire. We rushed out of the lobby and ran directly back to the beach, spotting Damusa in the distance, talking to Ju. "I got Ju, you get Damu." Rothel instructed, motioning for me to circle left. I stalked around the two and waited for a signal. Seeing a small glimmer, I leaped out of my hiding place and tackled Damusa to the ground, followed closely by Rothel's body, which had been thrown by Ju. "Well, that almost worked." Rothel mumbled, getting sand out of his hair. "Hey, I got my guy. Just cuz Ju saw you comin' doesn't mean it didn't work." I informed my friend, brushing sand off of my arms. "You have to wake up pretty early to get at me." Ju exclaimed. "Is that so?" I asked him, seeing Kirin behind me, stalking up to the black mage. "Well, I don't know. Maybe it just takes a certain…" I began, pausing that moment as Kirin jumped on Ju and got him into the sand, "…kind of finesse." Ju coughed up some sand while the rest of us laughed it up. "Guess ya don't gotta wake up that early, ya know?" Rothel mused. "Well, maybe it's just that Kirin's Ju's weakness." I offered.

Rothel started running toward the water and I followed. The both of us dived and started drifting, unsure of what we could do. "Hey, let's have a little blitz game, just you and me. How about it, Rothel?" I asked him, swimming over and grabbing the blitz ball he always carried with him. "Ya think ya can take me on? I know what you got, ya know? I can take ya." He replied with a cocky grin. "Yea? Alright then, bring it old timer." I mocked, sticking out an arm and motioning my finger for him to come. I tossed the blitzball high into the air and both of us jumped to get it. I managed to get my hand on the ball first and off I went, speeding off somewhere until I realized something. "We don't have a goal spot." I informed. "Eh? Oh, right… We can always just count a shot that passes one of us as a goal, ya know?" He suggested. "You mean whoever gets the ball lost gets a point?" I asked. "Eh? I got enough gil to get me more blitz balls, ya know? Who cares if I lose this one, ya know?" He replied. I shrugged and the game started. Since I had the ball, I went for a quick kick goal, but obviously, Rothel caught that one. "You think too little o' me, bro. I got lots more game than that!" He mused, performing his favorite opening move, the Blitz Pound. The move simply worked like punching the ball, but to add some charm into it, Rothel puts out both arms and whirls around, hammering the ball as he completed the circle. The ball sped toward me at an incredible speed, but I was no amateur. I quickly got under the ball as it headed over to me and made a flip, smacking the ball with my legs and sending it back over to him. "Your move might be good against most, but I, frankly, am not most." I boasted, throwing him a smirk. "Oh yea? Well, check this out, bro. I'm sure this'll make an impact, ya know?" He claimed, hitting the ball downward with both his hands. The ball went all the way into the depths and rebounded back up to him. Quickly, he pulled back and waited in a spring-like state. Once the ball was in position, he pushed forward, hitting the ball with both his fists and using all of his momentum to send it flying straight at me. It was his Blitzkrieg move, the best in his arsenal. I'd seen this one mess up so many opposing spirits. Its only rival was my next move. I moved under the ball's trajectory once more, but this time I head-butted it out of the water, myself along with it. I noticed Rothel gawk at the realization of what I was doing. As I began to drop, I put myself into a back-flip, smacking the ball with my foot and making it soar. Once it got to Rothel, he just dodged as best he could, allowing me to score. I landed back in the water. "Nothing beats it." I grinned with my statement. "Ya know, besides that move, you ain't got nothing that I can't block, bro." He claimed. "Is that so?" I said, swimming into the depths to retrieve the ball. Once I found it, I swam back to my friend. "Ever hear of a little something called, the Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III?" I asked him. "Ya mean your dad's favorite move? You can't do that one, bro. He's a legend for that." Rothel told me, doubt evident within his voice. "You think so?" I asked with another grin. With his nod, I kicked the ball at him. He blocked it, but it bounced back to me. I punched it and Rothel blocked it again, letting the ball return to me. Finally, I kicked the ball up a bit and corkscrewed my way up to it. I stopped and watched the ball get into position. With a smirk back to my friend, I sent the thing flying straight at my friend who again had to dodge or be hit harshly. "So, can't do it, huh?" I asked him sarcastically. "Dammit, bro. How come ya never use that in any of our games if ya can do it? It coulda won that Bevelle game so much easier, ya know?" He said. "Look, my original Jecht Shot is good enough to beat people. I don't really need to use my old man's special move to impress my fans. That's what he'd do and I want to be nothing like him, if I can help it." I stated with some anger in my tone. "I get it. No sweat, ya know? We haven't lost a game yet and ya haven't used that move. Heh, we don't need it." He offered, easing back somewhat. "Thanks." I smiled.

Soon after, with the loss of the ball, our game ceased with us just swimming around, each trying to tackle the other. "Ya know, I think I'd love ta live here. I mean the beach is great, there's lots a sunshine, the air's clean. What more could a guy want, ya know?" Rothel said after a while. "Are you serious? Fine then. You could retire here." I suggested. "Yea, ya know? Maybe I will." He said. "I'll build ya a retirement home here." I joked, swimming in for the kill. While Rothel was pondering the possibilities of settling out over here in his old age, I got the drop on him and tackled him good. "Oh, you gonna get it now, bro." He said chasing after me. I didn't give him a chance. Maneuvering around each of his moves, I ended up making a somersault back onto the beach. I landed right next to a summoner. Not mine, though…

When Rothel popped his head up, he saw two things. One was me, with my back facing him. I was looking back over at Lenne. The other thing he saw was his summoner. "L! Ya made it!" He exclaimed, flopping out of the water. "Uh, I'll leave to two guys alone." I said, running back over to Lenne, Kirin, and the others. After all, I knew the guy would want to be alone with his girl. Meanwhile, Kirin and Lenne were chatting with Ju and Damu, so I made my way over and tried to join in. "Hey Shuyin. Did you have fun with Rothel?" Lenne asked me. "Yea, I showed him I could do the really long-winded and irritating to say move that my father used to do." I told her. "What move is that?" All present asked. "Oh great… Okay, the Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III is what I just did for Rothel." I replied, sighing at the fact that I had to say it. "You did the what? But that's a legend among blitzers! It never missed a goal!" Kirin gasped. "Hey, neither did my Jecht Shot. I do it much better than my old man ever could." I replied with a huff. "Yea, but your dad didn't always get a goal using that move so it isn't completely invincible. Plus, you even blocked it yourself." She offered. "Yea, well, I've got plenty of moves that are way better than that eye sore of a special." I grumbled. Kirin patted me on the back, "Aw, Shuyin. It's just that nobody's seen that move in almost ten years. It's kinda become a mythical thing. I know you hate your dad, but think of it like this: you can perform the so-called mythical move." "Yea, Shuyin. If anyone ever said that Jecht was better than you, you just proved otherwise back there. You can do the… whatever it was Jecht Shot. That's nothing to be upset about." Lenne added with a hug. "I guess you're right. I can even do the other one my dad used to use when he knew he'd lose without it." I said. "Whoa! You can do the Ultimately Sublime Jecht Shot Version 2?" Kirin wowed. "Yes, I can do that move, too…" I stated monotonously. "Oh sorry. It's just that doing the Jecht Shot Mark III was great enough as it was, but the Jecht Shot v2? That's almost impossible! It makes the blitz ball invisible!" The blonde wowed again. "It really doesn't. Actually, it's just how you kick it. You need to get the right angle on the spin and you have to kick it hard. It's difficult to perform, but it still isn't all that impressive." I stated, trying to downsize my father's moves. His head was big enough as it was. I didn't need people gawking over his moves after he'd been dead for over nine years. It was at that point in time that I decided I had to do something about it. At the next championship game, I would win the game with my own shot, something that will cripple all wide-eyed fans of my father's shots. If they thought those two moves were legend-worthy, mine would be utterly divine intervention.

"Damu, lusa xielg! Fa ryja inkahd hafc vnus Zanarkand!" Pally called from a distance. "Right! I'm on my way!" Damu said and ran toward his airship. "Wonder what that's about." Ju muttered. "Yea, me too." I added, my voice drifting as I stared at the closed doorway. "Pally said that there was some urgent news from Zanarkand! That can't be good." Kirin said with a translation of the Al Bhed. " Zanarkand? That could only mean one thing!" I stammered. "Bevelle's attacking!" All three of us said at the same time. Quickly, we ran toward Damu's ship and waited for his confirmation. After a few minutes had passed, the hatch opened and Damu stepped out, his face faded slightly like he saw an unsent in there. "What's going on?" I asked. "So far, five hundred of our troops are dead. Bevelle brought in a couple of machina and those things are wiping us out." He stuttered in between quick gasps of air. "Okay, calm down Damu. I'll go get Larea and Rothel. You have to take us back home." I quickly said to him, running off to ruin my best friend's conversation.

I found the two of them sitting on the beach, laughing about something one of them had said earlier. "T, what can I do for ya?" Rothel asked me with a joyful smile. "T? Aren't you going to call him Shuyin now? That is his real name, right?" Larea asked. "That doesn't really matter now." I muttered to them both, giving them a look of solemn melancholy that illustrated my news for me. "What did Bevelle do now?" Both of them asked in sync. "They brought in their machina." I quietly stated, looking downward. They both stood up as quickly as possible and, with a nod, all three of us ran back to the airship. When we got there, Damu was all set to pilot us back home, hope returning the color in his face. "You ready?" I asked him. With a nod, he said, "Buckle up. This'll be a rough ride." We all boarded his ship and left the Al Bhed back in Besaid. My guess was that Damu didn't want Bikanel to be a scapegoat for Bevelle. He wanted to keep his friends safe. "Pa lynavim." Pally whispered. "I am hoping you are all coming safety back to here." Akoji added, continuing to practice our form of speech. "We will buddy! See ya soon!" Damu answered the two and off we went.

"Lennie, Aeons can beat machina, right?" Kirin asked. "Of course! Those things don't stand a chance." She replied. "Yea, especially with Bahamut around. He'll rip those pieces of junk apart, no problem." I added with a half-hearted grin. I wasn't actually sure if my statement was true. I was worried about the machina. Bevelle was a powerhouse of war and machina was their pride and joy in battle. I didn't know why they didn't use them before, but with them there, we'd have trouble. Not only that, but the death toll had already reached a level that high. This war wouldn't die down anytime soon.

When we reached home, explosions were at the gates. Damu had the airship soar into the fray and started firing. "This thing's got weapons?" I asked, surprised. "Well, you can run into some turbulence sometimes while carrying cargo." Damu explained. He continued to fire at one of the machina before the left engine was hit and he began to lose control of the ship. "Everybody out! I'm gonna have to crash land this thing!" He shouted at us. Everybody jumped ship, everybody except me, Lenne, and Damu. I wouldn't leave Damu to himself. I figured that when he said crash land, he'd crash land right into one of those machina, taking himself out in the process. Lenne wouldn't leave until I left. I made sure that Damu didn't see me and sure enough, the crazy martyr headed straight for one of the pilots in the machina. As soon as the ship was about to hit, I ran over and grabbed Damu. "You're not dying anytime soon!" I shouted at him, dragging him over to the hatch. "Tidus! Lenne! You guys shoulda left the ship by now!" He screamed back at me. "I knew you'd pull a stunt like this so I made sure to stay!" I yelled back, taking Lenne's hand and leaping out of the ship. All three of us cleared the ship just at it rammed the machina head on, causing both masses to explode. The flaming remains managed to take out a few of the surrounding soldiers and scattering the rest. I landed first and caught Lenne before her feet hit the ground. Damu was being kept up by my other hand, the one that was still grasping his shirt. "Now, get to safety! Either that or grab a gun and start shooting." I instructed our pilot, running off with Lenne to greet the enemy.

Lenne began casting Black Magic left and right. Meanwhile, I took out my trusty sword and ran straight through their ranks, cutting them up before they knew what was happening. They were too busy with me to pay attention to the beautiful summoner, still throwing thunderbolts and fireballs their way. These new soldiers didn't realize that I wasn't afraid of their bullets so I had to show them just how little those pieces of metal intimidated me. As the shots came, I located several possible targets and sent the wave of ammunition flying right into them. "Killing your own doesn't strike me as a wise maneuver." I sneered at Bevelle's finest. Once again I tried to distract them with their pride. They weren't very good at hiding that. "What's wrong? I hurt your feelings?" I asked with a smirk. While I got them all fired up, Lenne truly lit the fire within them, scorching her mark with a Firaga. We smiled at each other for the brief moment we weren't being attacked.

That moment was truly brief as the second machina came at us. Firing missiles, I narrowly dodged the explosions. It also forced me away from Lenne. I was separated from her by a substantial distance and more soldiers piled in to keep it that way. I kept up my attack, hacking away at all my opposition. Being so close, the soldiers gave up on firing at me, for fear of hitting their own in the process. Instead, they raised the blades of their weapons and charged me. I blocked one blow, ducked, and used my position to trip the four around him, stopping their attacks and sending their bodies straight into more enemies. Finally, I gave a little in my block, causing that first soldier to lose his balance. Quickly, I shoved him back and stabbed him in the gut. When the rest regained their footing, I was waving my hand, signaling them to attack me. They complied, lashing out at me with everything they got. I allowed a few of them to take out their friends, tripping them as they came to me and making them fall right into the next. The machina wouldn't attack me or Lenne at the current moment due to the simple fact that it would more than likely hit its own allies rather than kill either of us.

Amidst the fray, I was suddenly back-to-back with a familiar face. "Galte! Hey, when did you get here?" I asked. "Galte come when Ronso see explosion from Gagazet mountain. Galte and five Ronso come to help. Ronso not like Bevelle. Bevelle cause too much destruction. Bevelle must be stopped. Ronso help fight Bevelle. Ronso help Zanarkand." He replied, in between savage slashes of his claws. "Good to know. Now, let's teach these losers why they shouldn't mess with us!" I exclaimed, hacking away at a few more soldiers. While the two of us fought the soldiers, a strange creature attacked. "What is that?" I shouted to Galte. "It is fiend! It given name Espada!" He shouted back to me, a bit of fear to voice. "That's a fiend! What's happened to Spira? The fiend's look more like monsters everyday." I exclaimed. I slashed at the fiend with my sword and it blocked it with its claw. Like the mad beast it was, it charged over and I jumped out of its way, allowing it to tackle a few soldiers and start feeding. I saw Galte take out a bladed staff, a lance, and tap the ground with it. Instantly, a few pyreflies flew out of the fiend and into the Ronso. "What was that?" I asked. "This Ronso skill. Galte heal himself by taking life from fiend. Sometimes, Ronso learn fiend secret." He explained. "Well, whatever you did, it just got the thing's attention!" I informed, dodging a claw as the beast came at me. Galte focused for a moment and shot some kind of dark cloud at the fiend, causing it to stop moving. I used that stall to leap onto it, embedding my sword's blade into the thing's skull and twisting it a few times until it faltered and finally fell, dissipating into a swarm of pyreflies. Following through, I slashed at a soldier who wasn't paying attention and took him down. "Hey, can you use that suck the life out of somebody trick on these guys?" I asked. "Yes, but Ronso cannot learn from puny humans." He responded. Well, I could agree that nothing valuable would come from these guys, but it was still a plus to be able to leech off the losers.

Moving away from Galte, I got ready for my overdrive. There were plenty of soldiers around and Hit Run would work perfectly in that situation. I ran through them, whipping my sword around and around, taking down at least a dozen of them. The stunt set me on my own again, but it didn't matter. I could take care of myself. Although, I should have been worried about where a certain brunette summoner was. I looked around and saw only soldiers around me. The machina had gone off to blast away at what I guessed were some of our people. I'd have to find a way to stop it. First, however, I'd get rid of these imbeciles in front of me. They started to open fire and I got ready to send the rounds right back. Each bullet flew off my blade and straight into another of Bevelle. Those fools still didn't understand that I couldn't be stopped by that tactic. I swiftly made my way near the machina and sized it up. If I could take out the pilot, I wouldn't even need to worry about taking out the machina. I jumped up and stabbed its leg with my sword and used the hilt to swing up onto the front end of the thing, making sure to pull out my weapon while I flew. The pilot was surprised at seeing this unannounced passenger and took out his gunblade to greet me. I easily slashed off his arm in rejection of the kind gesture. After screaming in pain, he pushed some kind of button on the machina and tried to attack me with his other arm, blood oozing from the wounds I had given him. I simply stabbed him through the neck and attempted to take control of the machina. If I could use it, I'd make even shorter work of Bevelle's forces. Suddenly, the machina rumbled and sank slightly. The soldier must have hit a self-destruct button from before. As fast as I could, I cleared the thing, the blast sending me flying into a few of the soldiers on the ground. When I got up, I realized that the soldiers I fell on fell on the soldiers behind them who were holding out their weapons. With dead bodies piled on top of them, the soldiers who had inadvertently killed them were trapped. I stepped on one of the dead bodies and smiled down at the trapped soldiers. "Guess you boys are all tucked in and ready for a nap." I mused, swinging the flat side of my blade at them and knocking each of them out cold.

A scream took my attention to my left. I saw Kirin and noticed that she had been shot in the leg. A few feet over, Lenne was cornered by a lot of men, all ready for the kill. "LENNE!" I screamed, moving off the pile I was on. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my foot and fell to the ground. Apparently, I hadn't knocked all of those guys out and one of them had managed to free his arm from under his fallen comrades. I couldn't get to Lenne. Kirin was in a jam, too. "No! Lenne!" I screamed again. I watched on as the soldiers lifted their weapons, smirking wider with each second. I couldn't save them. Even if I were to free myself, I'd be too late. "LENNE!" I yelled a third time, staring wide-eyed at the scene before me. Kirin was about to die. Lenne was about to die. I couldn't do anything to change it. The two people who were closest to me out of everybody in all of Spira were about to be shot dead right in front of my eyes.

At the last second, when I thought all hope was gone, a shot rang out in the distance. It didn't come from any of the soldiers around either Lenne or Kirin. As I, as well as, the two of them looked on, one of the soldiers near Lenne suddenly dropped, blood leaking from his head as he convulsed on the ground. More shots came and each of the soldiers fell, uneasily searching for their stealthy enemy and too slow to fire shots of their own. I took the moment to decapitate the one who was holding my leg and free myself. Quickly, I got back to my feet and started running to my love. Through all the shooting, Lenne had lost her footing and fallen onto the floor, gazing in shock at the dead soldiers surrounding her.

Before I could reach her, she was offered another hand, one I was definitely surprised to see. He had disheveled blue hair and red, bloodshot eyes. "Areth?" I muttered beneath my breath. The one who'd murdered me and Lenne in my dreams; the one who had been called mad by his own best friend; the one who'd been questionable in his behavior the last time I saw him, was… saving my Lenne?


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Calm Before the Storm

"Hello, Tidus." Areth purred, glancing at me before returning to Lenne. Gently kissing her hand, he continued to say, "M'lady…" "But how? Why?" I muttered, surprised that the one I thought was my enemy had just saved the woman I loved. "Always ready to help a friend in need." He simply replied, looking at me with confident and calm eyes. I still couldn't believe it. Areth was apart of Bevelle. He should have been helping those soldiers kill Lenne and Kirin, yet he saved them. He killed his own to save an enemy. "So, I'm sure you're very confused at seeing the two of us, eh?" A voice sounded in the distance. I turned to meet its owner and saw another familiar face, this one being the one who'd told me of Areth's instability. "Kai? What's going on? Why are you guys helping us stay alive?" I asked the blitzer. "Well, it was Areth's idea. He said he didn't want to see Zanarkand fall. He said that Bevelle wasn't doing the right thing and I agreed with him. That's why we're here. We wanna help." He explained. I uneasily nodded, still not fully believing their story. I made my way over to Kirin and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?" I asked her. She nodded and looked past me, sharing my confusion. "Yea, they said they're here to help." I told her. "Aren't those two from Bevelle?" She asked. "Yea. The guy with the blue hair is Areth and the other guy is Kai. Apparently, they don't like this war as much as we don't." I replied. Soon after, we were rejoined by the two of them, Lenne following suit. "So, you trust us?" Kai asked. "For now, I don't see a reason why not." I offered, extending my hand to welcome them.

Together, the five of us reentered the battlefield. After Areth and Kai had taken down those other guys, none had come to take their place. We actually had to travel some distance in order to find anybody else to fight. Both of our new Bevelle allies wielded gunblades that were more on the blade side than the rest. The two of them made short work of their former side and it seemed that they were trustworthy. Kai had nothing for me to mistrust and he seemed to have renewed faith in his best friend. I felt there was no need to be cautious about the sudden desertion. Some minutes into the battle, I chose to stop standing there like an idiot and help out. As if to follow my lead, Lenne began to summon something and Kirin ran with me to help out the two. Kai began having trouble with a few of his foes, being that they were starting to fire at him. He was hit in the leg and fell to the ground, effectively slowing his counterattacks. I moved in and deflected what would have been a fatal shot to my new friend, swatting it to another soldier standing close-by, ready to cut into Kai should the shot not do him in. "Thanks, Tidus. I didn't want my debut on your side to end that quickly." He said, allowing me to get him back to his feet. Lenne cast a Cura spell on his leg injury and returned to casting Black Magic on other nearby aggressors. She had summoned Kinok to help out and the earth-element Aeon made quite the impact on Bevelle. Using its various spells, Kinok buried a group of soldiers in a chasm and smacked whoever else was left with its armored tail. It didn't take too long for us to remove the threat to Zanarkand.

Later on, after Bevelle had retreated for the second time I'd seen, the remaining troops of Zanarkand set up camp to rest up until the next attack. Kirin had gone to find Ju and the others. Meanwhile, in the distance, I could here many voices singing what Lenne had taught them before. "I e yu i, No bo me no, Re n mi ni, Yo ju yo go, Ha se te ka na e, Ku ta ma e." "What is that?" Areth asked. "Yea, what are those guys singing over there?" Kai added, not knowing that it was our way of making fun of Bevelle's losses. "I hope you guys don't take offense, but…" I started to say. "I made it up to celebrate Zanarkand's victories. It pays respect to those lost in battle and gives hope to those still living that Zanarkand has a chance." Lenne finished. "It sounds lovely, m'lady." Areth purred, making a slight smile at Lenne. I didn't expect Kai or Areth to feel comfortable about that song. It was being sung to spite Bevelle, their home. "Guys, you don't have to listen if you don't want to. We could leave right now." I offered. "Nah, it's catchy." Kai insisted, a hint of melancholy in his voice as he tried to smile. "I e yu i…" He began to sing. "Are you sure about this?" Lenne and I asked together. With a reassuring smile, both Areth and Kai sang the rest of the song happily, celebrating Zanarkand's victory as their own victory. They had truly become one of us.

When it got into the afternoon hours, we went to find Kirin, Rothel, Ju, Damu, Larea, and Galte so that we could all go hang out for the rest of the day. At first, Galte didn't accept the two deserters of Bevelle. He said, "Galte not trust Bevelle. Areth and Kai from Bevelle. Galte not trust Areth and Kai." However, Areth found a way to ease the Ronso's hard heart with his smooth words, saying, "I know Bevelle hasn't exactly been up to anything good. Just trust in this: Me and Kai here, we are Bevelle no more. You can just call us a couple of Zanarkand's, because that's what we'd rather be." Not even Galte's stubbornness could keep up after those words. Areth just sounded too sincere and the way he had sung Zanarkand's victory song from before, he couldn't possibly be untrustworthy. Not only that, but Kai trusted him and I had no doubt in my mind that Kai was trustable. The last time we spoke, he gave me nothing to doubt in his sincerity.

"So what ya guys wanna do? I'ma bit hungry, ya know? You guys up for some grub?" Rothel asked as we continued walking around. "I'm a little hungry myself." Kai added. "Yea, me too." Kirin followed, putting a hand on her stomach. "So let's stop talking about our hunger and go get something to eat already." I suggested. We found some fast food place and went inside.

To tell the truth, I really had no hunger in me then. I was too preoccupied with the day's prior events. First and foremost was Lenne and Kirin's near death experience. I still couldn't shake the fear and despair I felt when I thought they were about to die. Kirin meant everything to me. When my mother died, not long after my father, it was Kirin who got me out of depression. I hated my father, yes, but I loved my mother. She was all I really had growing up. When she died, I threw all that on Kirin. If I were to lose her, I'd probably go back to sulking and hating the world. Then, there was Lenne. I loved her. If she was taken from me, well, the reaction in my first dream looked accurate enough. I'd go ballistic. I think I'd lose my mind. Those two, they were all that kept me the kind of person I am. To lose them, I could never forgive myself. Secondly, those newcomers. I didn't know what was going on in their minds, but I was sure they'd need a friend. I knew that if situations were reversed, I'd really appreciate someone there to help me ease in the nuances of being in a foreign land.

"I'll have the fish sandwich." Ju said, pointing at a picture of the item. I suddenly realized I'd been staring at Areth the whole time I was thinking about Lenne and Kirin. "Oh sorry, Areth." I apologized, "Didn't mean to stare at you like that." "Hey, T, you're up!" Kirin chirped. "Thanks for the secrecy." I whispered to Kirin, realizing that both Areth and Kai still knew me to be Tidus and Tidus alone. I probably would want to wait until later on to tell them that I was really Shuyin. Areth gazed at us and I thought he might have overheard, but brushed it off. "Uh, I'll take the Puzina." I said, pointing that the stuffed roll. It was one of my favorites when it came to fast food. "Is that all you're gonna eat?" Lenne asked, forever concerned about my well-being. "Why? It's enough." I replied, looking at her. I knew it really wasn't enough and normally, when I had the chance to sit and eat, I'd eat a lot more, but again, I really wasn't thinking about food. "Okay, add on an order of Hai Ze Pi and an alchem-cola." I said, giving in. After all, if I didn't eat, Lenne would be thinking about me too much and she'd follow suit with not eating.

"So what made you guys switch sides? Bevelle couldn'ta treated ya that bad, ya know? What got you guys out?" Rothel asked while stuffing his face full. "Hey, Bevelle can kiss my ass for all I care about it anymore. I mean, I loved it before, but starting up a war because Zanarkand was flashier than us? That's just stupid and I wouldn't have anymore of it." Kai explained. Figured I was right about Bevelle. They were jealous of the grand look Zanarkand had. It was the city that never slept. There was entertainment wherever you looked. And not only that, but the entire city was prosperous. Even our poorest areas were richer than some cities on Spira. It didn't surprise me a bit that a cold city like Bevelle would be a little envious. "So, they started this war because Zanarkand is more attractive of a city?" I asked, rhetorically. "Bevelle doesn't major its funding on its commercial aspect. Bevelle puts more of its resources into arms technology. When it comes to brute strength, Bevelle is top gun." Areth inputted. "Yea, well, that don't give them the right ta pound on us wit them war machina. Zanarkand's a peaceful city. We haven't been ta war in how many centuries? Now, those bozos wanna start wit us?" Rothel growled angrily, crushing his sandwich. "Take it easy, bro. Bevelle chose to attack us on their own accord. We can't think about it like they're Zanarkand's people. That city loves war. It thrives on it. Now, it's our turn to face off against them. Let's just try and teach them a lesson about picking on others, k?" I offered, trying to calm my best friend. "Yea, you right, Tidus. So, what's up wit the rest of ya?" Rothel said. "Huh? Oh, like I'm paying attention to your grumbling. I'm chatting with Ju and Damu." Kirin responded. "Larea was just telling me about her latest Aeon." Lenne added, "That's why we weren't taking part in your discussion. I'm sorry if we missed anything important." "Nah, you didn't miss anything except Rothel getting sandwich stuffing all over his hand." I replied with a laugh. Rothel looked to the hand that crushed his sandwich and groaned. It was covered in all the sauces, meat, and veggies that used to reside in those two slices of bread. "You overreact just a tad too much." I mused, putting out my fingers and sizing up the amount of his over-exaggerated behavior. We all laughed and joked for about an hour and finally headed out.

I figured Areth and Kai would be pretty lost, what with being in Zanarkand on the level of a tourist. They'd have to get used to the new surroundings and I figured that me and Lenne could show them around. "So how about it? If you guys are gonna be sticking around, you might wanna get to know this place a little better, right?" I asked. "I would love to." Areth replied with a nod. "Well, I guess if it isn't any trouble, sure! All I know is where the blitz stadium is. Six years ago, we had a game with you guys here. Unless you guys moved it, I think I can find it." Kai added. "So you want to see the blitz stadium first?" I asked. "Sure, let's check it out." He answered. "I could show them the Jecht Shot!" Lenne suggested. "Yea! Hey, you guys are in for a treat. Lenne can do the Jecht Shot, too! If you want, maybe we could get in a two on two blitz game." I said. "That would be wonderful." Areth purred, giving Lenne that familiar smirk. I still didn't like that smirk of his. Something about it just sent me the wrong message.

We got to the blitz stadium rather quickly, Kai leading the way quite confidently. "Yup, still the same place. You know, this'll be the first time Areth here's seen this. He was injured when we had that game back then." He said, recounting on past years. We entered the building and ran into that rookie, Haru. "Hey there! You just finished training?" I asked. "Uh, yea…" He stammered, glancing at Areth and then at Kai. He must have been confused about why two people dressed in Bevelle garb were here. I think that earlier, Kirin had explained to the guy at the fast food place that they were on our side, but Haru wouldn't know anything about that. "Don't worry about it. These guys are on our side now." I informed. "Yes, we're all on the same side here." Areth added smoothly, looking at Haru. Kai had a funny look on his face, but I brushed it off as a simple case of mistaken identity. And who knows, maybe Kai had seen Haru someplace. As large as Spira was, it wasn't that big. "Well, I don't wanna keep you. I'll see ya around, Haru." I said with a wave and proceeded to the Sphere Pool. I hoped Haru left it on. Although, why would he if he didn't know we were coming. Luckily, though, the pool was up and running. The guy must have just forgot to shut it off before he left.

I walked over first and noticed some clothing thrown across the floor. "Oh great… Please tell me no one is using that thing for… other… kinds… of… practice…" I groaned, looking away with a sigh. "I think I see somebody in there. Maybe we should come back a little later." Lenne suggested, cheeks colored a beet red. Kai and Areth just snickered and walked back out with the two of us. "Guess we'll just have to wait for them to finish." I said, hanging my head as the mental pictures together with mental sounds started to play in my mind. "Guess so." Lenne followed up shyly. Kai patted me on the back and said, "Well, seems to me, we better go somewhere a little less hardcore." I nodded with a blush.

We made our way to a lounge that the guys and I usually hung around when we were done with practice or sometimes for pep talks before a really tough game. Lenne went to go change into some blitz gear so that she wouldn't get her regular stuff wet. "So, how long you think they'll be?" Kai asked with a snicker. "Please… I'd rather not think about it if you wouldn't mind." I groaned. "Tidus, don't tell me you're a virgin. I would have never guessed it." Areth said with a wide grin. "Hey, I'll be a virgin that can wipe the floor with you at blitz any day!" I exclaimed, giving him a smirk. "Is that so?" Areth answered, returning with a smirk of his own. It was the same as always, but I guess that the guy just always smiled that way. I'd just have to get used to it. "Me and my boy, Areth here, we'll beat you two. I mean, after all, your last victory was just a fluke." Kai chimed in. "A fluke, eh? Lenne, we'll show them a fluke, right?" I stated, turning to her when I noticed her return. This was all familiar to me, being that a part of the Tidus personality I'd made had extreme braggart confidence; however, Lenne wasn't one to realize this. "Uh, well, maybe…" She shyly replied. I smiled at her. This wasn't her forte. "Eh, no problem. We'll beat them." I said to cover.

After a few more minutes, we finally decided that we should see if whoever it was was done with the Sphere Pool. "Hey T-man!" Kion said, as he put his shirt back on. "You know, the Sphere Pool isn't meant for what you were doing in there." I said, my cheeks still faintly red. "Don't worry, I cleaned my mess." He said with a chuckle. I noticed that someone else was on the other side of the stadium and decided to get Kion's new girlfriend to come out of hiding. When I reached the other side, my jaw dropped at the sight. Vena was sitting over a few feet, pulling on her boots. "Don't tell me…" I started. "Yea, me and Kion are dating." She replied with a sigh. "You and Kion? I'd never think that… and you guys… with the… No! Mental picture!" I shouted, smacking the side of my head to get the image of Kion and Vena together out of my mind. "Oh grow up, Tidus. You're dating that Lenne. Did you think everybody just lived by themselves and only you could find love?" She said with much exasperation. I apologized and added, "It's not that. I just never thought it would be you and Kion. The two of you are polar opposites and I just never would have coupled you two." Vena got her boot on and I offered a hand. "Plus, I've never had that thing with Lenne yet." I continued, while pulling her up. "You mean to tell me that a guy like you hasn't…" She started to say, but then saying, "Oh wow, you really haven't." She noticed how I was blushing again. "Don't worry, Tidus. It should happen naturally. Besides, this means you really love this girl. I mean Rothel's got that other summoner girl… I really should get to know her a little better. Anyway, he's told me that they've never been together and you know how Rothel is." Vena said in an attempt to comfort me. Personally, I didn't really care about that stuff. I guess that when you fake your life to so many people, it just ends up making people think you're someone you aren't. "Well, I gotta get going. Me and Kion are checking out this new movie at the Sphere Dome." She said and walked away. I stood there for a little bit, taking in what had happened and what kind of person my friends thought of me.

A few minutes later, the four of us, Areth, Kai, Lenne, and me, were swimming in the Sphere Pool. "Are you ready, Tidus?" Areth asked, smirking. "Don't worry about me; I'm always ready." I returned, sending my own smirk his way. The blitzball was shot up and both of us swam to grab it. This time, Areth got the ball. Quickly, he rocketed towards the goal. Lenne decided to stop him in his tracks, swimming up right in front of him and trying to steal the ball. Unfortunately, her idea of stealing the ball wasn't very productive. I smiled as she tried to grab the ball from Areth, the star of Bevelle maneuvering around each attempt. At least she got the guy distracted. Kai tried to keep me from interfering with Areth and Lenne, but I easily moved around his block, my agility being much more honed than his. I got to Areth and as he moved away from another of Lenne's grabs, I reached out and took the ball. "Lenne! Show 'em what you can do!" I exclaimed, passing her the ball. Quickly she swam upward, spun sideways in a dance-like manner, and kicked the ball at the goal. With me near Areth, I kept him from doing anything to catch the ball. However, Kai was aware of my plan and got to position just as the ball came, pegging it with a back-arm. It came toward his partner, but with me around, it was difficult for him to secure a catch and so I took the opportunity to catch the pass for him. So far, we'd been near our goal so I made a flip and sent the ball soaring as I came back around, giving the ball all of my momentum. It sped towards the goal, but Areth had taken his open position to swim to the goal and catch my shot. The sheer momentum sent him back some, but his mass was enough to stop a goal from being made. "You're good Tidus, but we're no amateurs." Kai said, swimming toward his goal and looking back for the pass. Areth swam to a clear enough area and sent the ball on its way, finally completing a pass for his team as Kai caught it and went in for the goal. Lenne went in, again trying to grab the ball. This time, she accidentally kicked him in the gut on one of her attempts and slowed him down. However, with the stamina he had, a simple kick wouldn't cause him to forfeit the possible goal. He ducked under Lenne and kept going. As much as my love wanted, she couldn't stop him from getting in the first goal. The score was a 1-0 starter.

The next blitz off, Lenne took my place and Kai did the same for Areth. Surprisingly, although she was the underdog, she managed to take the ball from Kai. Of course, I think I saw Kai purposely slip-up to help out my songstress. She swam over toward our goal as fast as she could, but Areth caught up and blocked her path. Fortunately, I was also around and made a pass right on her left side, getting the ball and slipping past the best of Bevelle. "Too slow, Areth ol' boy." I mocked, looking back. He started coming toward me, but I tossed the ball over his head and got it back to Lenne. "Lenne! Jecht Shot!" I suggested, going back into a defensive position to keep Areth away. Lenne bumped the ball with her head and soared over the Sphere Pool, starting a back-flip. She hit the Jecht Shot perfectly once more and it went sailing into our goal. Kai tried to pull off my move, but on the spin-kick, he missed the ball and it landed us a 1-1 score. Continuing off, me and Kai were at it, going for the ball. I swatted it away and into Lenne's arms and she started swimming to the goal. I kept Kai busy, circling around him every now and then. He was too pre-occupied with me to even think about getting to my partner. Lenne somehow dodged Areth's tackle, something I was glad about. If he hit her, I'd have to kill him. She got in a diagonally upward position from the goal. Areth came up from behind and she quickly pushed off him with her hands, allowing the ball to float to her feet. Using Areth, she sprung forth and struck the ball with her legs. "Kirin's move?" I asked no one in particular. I didn't know that Kirin had taught Lenne that move. In any case, it sank us a second goal.

"Hey how about one more and we call it a day?" Kai asked as the two of us watched Lenne and Areth ready themselves face-to-face, waiting for the ball to be launched. "What, you're tired already?" I mused, smirking at him with my head held high. "Well, I figure that being around a half hour to seven, you'd wanna call it a day." He replied. "It's how late?" I asked, not realizing that we'd spent so much of the afternoon waltzing up to the stadium and then waiting for Kion and Vena in the lounge. Each day passed so quickly. It was already nearing time to pack it in. I decided to agree with Kai and finish up the game with this next point. I noticed that Areth got the ball and was swimming towards the goal. Kai started following so I decided that I'd rather end this little game on a 3-1 rather than on a tie. Using my speed, I got in front of Areth and Lenne was slowly coming up behind Kai. While making my way in front of Areth, I grabbed the ball and started spinning it on my finger, the spin slowed by the water. "Tidus, why don't you try something original? I've seen the Jecht Shot so many times, frankly, it's become a bore to watch." Areth goaded, giving me a look of mock boredom. "Oh, so you want something surprising, eh?" I said with a fiendish smirk, "How's about this!" I dropped the ball and performed a typical kick. It hit straight into Kai, bounced off and came back to me. I punched it at Areth, letting it bounce off his arm and back to me. Finally, I kicked it up and spin around. "No it can't be! It's your father's move! It's the Sublimely Magnificent…" Kai stammered, gawking once he got his bearings back. "… Jecht Shot…" Areth continued, equally dazed. I kicked the ball and it zoomed right past Areth and into the goal, "… Mark III." The score finished at my desired 3-1.

"I didn't know you could do that." Kai said to me as we exited the Sphere Pool. "I'm just full of surprises." I replied with a smile. "You sure are…" Areth purred, sauntering up behind us. Lenne had gone ahead to shower and get her normal clothing back on. "Besides, if my old man can, why shouldn't I be able to?" I asked, wanting to know just what the big deal was about that dumb third-rate shot I pulled off from earlier. "Well, it is the single most legendary shot to ever grace blitzball." Kai said in a very matter-of-factly tone. "Untrue. There was that other Jecht Shot that could make the ball invisible and therefore, completely unblockable." Areth informed, looking at me from the corner of his eye. I grunted. Those two were just as bad as any of my dad's old fans. I mean they knew there was no Mark I or II, but they paid hundreds of thousands of gil just to make it to the games live to see if he'd use a Mark I or II. As for me, my fans come to see me because I'm the absolute best around. Even my father lost his earlier games. When I joined up, the Zanarkand Abes were invincible. Of course, it wasn't all me, but I helped some. Plus, unlike my father, my performance of the Jecht Shot was never blocked. His rookie move, but it did score him a few victories early on. However, the speed he got on the ball was nothing compared to the speed I could give it. In fact, his speed would probably be that of Lenne's and she's no blitzer.

"Well, it's getting to a quarter to eight. We should probably start looking for a hotel or something to stay at." Kai said, ready to wave goodbye to me and Lenne. "Hold on a second. You guys are permanent residents to Zanarkand now. What say you stay with me for the time being? I mean, even a five star hotel can't beat a star blitzer's home, right?" I asked, looking towards Areth. If anyone knew that, he did. I remember going to his house and seeing all that decorum. Areth's house was much flashier than mine, but regardless, the luxuries were most likely the same. "Tidus is right. My house is a lot better than even the highest quality hotels in Bevelle." He said to his friend. "Yea, but our hotels really blow." Came the response. "Yea, well, trust me. As good as the Zanarkand hotels are, my home's accommodations are that much better." I suggested with a pat to his shoulder.

At long last, he gave in. We walked Lenne back home and we said our goodbyes. The walk back to my house was short and pretty quiet. My guess was that those two former citizens of Bevelle were a little homesick. It didn't surprise me. I don't think I'd like to be away from Zanarkand and totally abandon it to side with its sworn enemy. "We're here!" I announced, displaying my home for the two of them to see. "C'mon, I'm beat. From the battle this morning to the blitz game just an hour before, I'm really drained." I continued, taking off my shirt and heading for my shower, "You two can roam around and find any guest room that you think you'd like to stay in." Reaching my shower, I threw my shirt into the hamper and got my pants in, too. I had an entire closet full of that garment and it was about time I washed that set. I turned on the water and entered, washing my hair and such. Mostly, I was just taking a shower because those images of Kion and Vena weren't going away, and we were swimming around in the pool and all. I finished up, dried off, and opened the door. "Oh hi Areth. You want to use the shower?" I asked, not expecting to open the door to anyone. "Uh, yes. I think I am in need of some cleaning." He said, a weird smile on his face. It was just strange because it was a little goofy looking, but reserved at the same time. In any case, I thought it looked strange. "It's all yours." I waved, walking past him to my bedroom.

I fell asleep rather quickly, the fatigue of the days events seeping my consciousness into the world of dreams. I found myself in Bevelle, sword in hand and in the dark. Areth was opposite me, his gunblade glimmering off the moonlight. We were face to face and in a light fog. Suddenly, he raised his weapon and fired one single shot at me. I lifted my arm to block the shot with my sword, but found my own weapon had vanished. Wide-eyed, I watched the bullet enter my chest, and spat out blood. I sank to one knee, clutching the wound and breathing raggedly. Areth walked up to me and smirked his usual smirk. My vision began to cloud, further covering my surroundings in fog. "I win…" He said to me as I blacked out.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: A Match Not Made in Heaven

The third dream ended and I opened my eyes to greet the new day. What appeared before me when my vision cleared was none other than the man who'd shot me two previous times. "Areth? What are you doing here?" I asked groggily. "I heard noises coming from your room so I came to investigate." He replied, looking at me with some concern. I told him I had some lame dream about duck soup or something and he bought it. I was glad. My fibs weren't very good most of the time. Sure, I can pretend to be someone I'm not, but when it comes to explaining what freaked me out a few seconds ago, I freeze.

I got myself cleaned up and went downstairs for some breakfast. Kai was busy watching the SV in my living room. "Hey, Areth said you were havin' a bad dream. You okay?" He asked me. "Yea, I'm fine. It was just a dumb dream." I replied, grabbing a bowl and a spoon and getting some cereal. I yawned and walked over to where Kai was sitting and plopped myself down also. "What are you watching?" I asked, seeing as the show was on a commercial break. "It's this really cool thing about fiends. It seems they've been getting stronger." Kai answered, almost mesmerized by the panel displaying a Clarofin anti-acne cream commercial. "Really? What did it say? Why are all the fiends suddenly so weird looking and aggressive?" I asked, starting to gain some interest. I wanted to know what that Espada thing was that I had fought with Galte. "Well, apparently, fiends are made from the dead. When they die, most of the time they envy those who are still living. Because of that, they turn into fiends." He said. "Yea, I know that part. Lenne is a summoner after all. What did they say about why they've been getting nastier?" I asked again, starting to lose my patience. "Well, since people really didn't have too much to be envious about back then, the fiends they turned into weren't so strong. It all depends on the emotions from the dead." He said, using a tone of voice that told me that he didn't know what he was talking about. Me, on the other hand, knew exactly what was going on. That stupid war with Bevelle was racking up the death tolls and because people have lost their lives due to such a stupid reason, they've become extremely jealous of the living and their anger was feeding the pyreflies, allowing them to form a much stronger creature in their wake. The war wasn't just affecting my Zanarkand, it was affecting everything on Spira.

"If you two are done staring at that SV, I think today is an excellent day for us to scour all the corners of Zanarkand." Areth chimed in, his voice as smooth as ever. "Sure Areth. I'll take you anywhere in Zanarkand that you want to go." I replied, hopping over the sofa and landing a few feet from the blitzer. We left and headed off towards the more crowded sections of the city. After all, a tourist usually loves to check out the main attractions. Even though Areth and Kai were permanent guests, they'd still need time to get used to their new citizenship and so they were still pretty much tourists. "This would be the main street for us. It has shopping malls and food courts and the largest hotels around. Welcome to Chronus Central!" I explained, acting as an unofficial tour guide. "Zanarkand's really lively." Kai wowed, checking out every store window and seriously getting on Zanarkand's nerves. It didn't really last too long, though, due to the fact that the star blitzer of the city was right there. Most of the attention came to me and I ended up spending at least an hour signing autographs onto blitz balls and autograph books and even on some stomachs. Fans were definitely untamed and unbelievably loose. I still remembered that Al Bhed who became one of these people. His body was covered head to toe with Lenne tattoos. I shuddered at the thought and Kai thought I was cold. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about how certain fans display their affection for us." I explained, shaking my head from thinking about that Akoji again.

We walked a bit longer and reached a place where summoners usually trained. That's when I thought my day would turn sour. Who else could I have run into, except that one little… in any case, I ran into her. Areth took it upon himself to introduce himself to her, but the woman couldn't be bothered. It was typical. She exemplified everything that could ever be wrong with a summoner. Even Kai agreed with me. Areth, on the other hand, seemed almost entranced by her presence. He wouldn't stop cajoling her.

"Areth, you've got no chance with that girl. Trust me. She's even pricklier than Yunalesca and that woman pushed her heal into my chest after Bahamut swiped it. Do yourself a favor and let her go." I said to my spell-struck friend. He didn't seem to pay attention though, smiling a bit before going back to flirting with that Trista. I couldn't even begin to figure what attracted him to her. Although, if he could get her to fall in love with him, she might be able to change for the better. I thought for a moment and decided that I'd try to help. How I was going to help, I had no idea. After all, the summoner hated all blitzers and me especially. What could I do to help out my fellow athlete?

For the rest of that day, Areth tried to get her to like him and it just wasn't working out for him. "Go away you little insect. Stop bothering me with your lame brain flirting. I don't like losers like you!" Trista yelled, trying to smack Areth with her staff. Of all the summoners, Trista had to be the only one carrying a diamond-studded staff. Her ego must have been so inflated it could fill up the entire Sphere Dome. "Look Trista, just be a little more courteous, will ya? It's obvious that the poor man likes you. Why would he, I have no idea, but he does. I think you should at least try to hear him out." I said, having enough of Areth being made a fool of. "Oh great, it's the lamer with that songbird." She sneered, frowning upon seeing me approach. "Trust me, the feelings mutual, but I'm here to help a friend. This is Areth." I said, grabbing Areth by his collar and standing him up straight, "He's from B… uh… Bay Plaza!" I didn't want to ruin it for the guy by telling her that he's from across enemy borders. "No he's not! I live around there! A guy like him could never afford any of those houses. But I don't care. He's probably some charity case you're working on to make yourself look good." She said with a grunt. "For your information, I donate to charity. I don't help people on financial support get dates with snobby little… people…" I said, stopping myself from saying what I had originally planned to say after little, "Besides, Areth's no charity case. He's…" I couldn't think of what to say. If I said he was a blitzer, she'd dump him on the spot. If I said he was anything she'd respect, I wasn't sure if Areth would want that kind of false relationship. "… a blitzer." He finished, standing tall with pride in his talent. "A blitzer? Oh great, another college reject. Look, I'm sure you're going to tell me you are a nice guy and that I'd love to go out with you, but let me just stop you right there. I'm not interested in you bozo blitzer dunces anymore than I'm interested in… people like you! Now leave me alone!" She said, much to my expectation. Blitzers were a big turn-off for her because she figured us to be idiots. Truth to tell, blitzers weren't, but if she didn't think so, Areth would never get through to her.

For the next week and a half, Areth made it his top priority to find some way to get Trista to like him. Each of his attempts failed miserably. Kai started to try and get Areth to let her go, but he just wouldn't be swayed. I was considering fighting the woman again just to just to make her unavailable for him. I felt so sorry for the guy and the fact that he was love-struck and madly in love with a woman that equivocated him with an insect. After watching him fail time and time again, I couldn't take it anymore and left Kai to go with Lenne.

"So Areth's in love with Trista?" She asked as we made our way around a few quiet neighborhoods. "Yea, the man's completely crazed about the girl. I don't even get it. What could he possible see in her? All I get is a conceited little, I'm a summoner and you aren't, piece of trash." I said, putting my arms behind my head and looking up at the sky. "Well, love works like that. Did you ever think that Kion and Vena would have fallen for each other? Even Kirin and Ju seem a little mismatched. The thing is that he can find something special about her. Shouldn't that be enough?" She suggested, looking up into my eyes. I sighed and took her hands into mine. She was right. I couldn't find anything likeable about Trista, but it wasn't my eyes that were mesmerized by her face. Areth found something in her just like Vena somehow found something in Kion. As much as I didn't get it, it just didn't really matter. I wasn't the decision-maker. Then the only problem was that Trista hated Areth's guts. "What do you suppose we do to get Trista to like a blitzer?" I asked. "I think you should leave that up to Areth. If he really loves her, he'll find a way." She answered, smiling. I smiled, too. It was absurd for me to get all worked up about getting Areth hitched. It was his life and I really didn't play a part in it other than being the supportive friend right alongside Kai. "I guess I should just leave well enough alone, huh?" I said. "Yes, you should. Now, instead of worrying about his life, let's worry about yours. You know the next blitz season is coming in a few months. Are you ready?" She stated. I hadn't thought of it. She was right. Blitzball was going to start in around three more months. It was amazing how fast the time passed. It was almost like yesterday when I had first heard Lenne singing up on that stage, those words carrying me up into the heavens. It had been nine months since that day. I couldn't believe it.

"C'mon, we'd better start heading back. We're a little far from home and it's getting late." Lenne said, getting my attention back to the present. I nodded and we made our way back to where I had left Areth and Trista. By the time we got there, it was night and the people had gathered. "What's going on?" I asked Kai. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He replied, staring into the crowd. I tried to get a peak at what was happening myself. Then I saw it. Areth and Trista were making out completely out in the open and attracting the attention of just about everyone around. I walked back over to Kai and said, "You've got to be kidding me right? How'd he do it?" "I have no idea buddy, but somehow he did. I've been here for the past hour and they haven't stopped at all. First, Areth was getting nowhere, then suddenly he's whispering stuff into her ear and then this happens! I tell ya, he's real good." Kai said with a baffled voice. I wasn't any less surprised. For a week and a half, Areth couldn't get even a kind word out of that girl's mouth. All of a sudden, the two of them are kissing in the middle of Chronus Central. It just didn't make any sense. I guess Lenne was right. Areth loved Trista and figured out something that pleased the girl. If only I knew what it was then.

After another hour, the two of them finally stopped, Trista gasping for breath and Areth smirking that familiar smirk. The crowd dispersed and I approached the two of them. What more of a shocker did I need with Trista falling for Areth? Well, Trista smiling at me was just that. She had never done that before. The first time I had met the woman was when Lenne was being attacked by the Ifrit fiend. She was incredibly annoying to Lenne and nagged her about her amateur summoner skills. She didn't even care to understand that it was only her first day and she didn't expect to be attacked by such a powerful fiend at the time. Her Valefor most likely couldn't handle too much back then. In any case, this Trista seemed so different. "What's wrong, Tidus? Cat got your tongue?" She said, giggling as Areth whispered something else into her ear and walked over to Kai. "So you like him now?" I asked, trying to reassure myself that what I had witnessed was real. "Yea. I was wrong about him. He's not like any blitzer I've seen before. I guess I owe you an apology from all my malice toward you. I'm sorry." She said, bowing her head. I couldn't believe it. First, she falls in love with Areth, then the smile, and she follows it up by apologizing for everything she'd put me through? This was unbelievable! Areth was some kind of miracle worker because this girl never would have done this all by herself. "Oh, uh, no problem…" I stammered, still getting over the fact that Trista, the epitome of trashiness, just reformed in less than one day. Maybe there was hope for the summoners yet. I mean Lenne was a nice role model for future summoners, Larea was a fairly decent summoner herself, and then Trista, the prime example that a worm can become a butterfly. (And yes, I realize how corny that just sounded.)

The summoner waltzed past me, making her way to Areth. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek while Kai pretended to be tired of all the sappiness. I walked over to Lenne and saw that even she was perplexed by the scene. "Never thought it would happen, huh?" I asked with a grin. "I never would've imagined it." She admitted, still staring at the area the two new lovebirds were kissing. "Guess you were right. Areth would find a way to get Trista to like him." I continued, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I just never thought it would be so quick. She wasn't much in the mood for him earlier and suddenly she's all over him." Lenne wowed some more. I looked back over where Trista was still clinging onto Areth and kissing him every two seconds. It really seemed out of place. Then again, so did Kion and Vena. I just had to keep reminding myself that Kion and Vena were polar opposites and they ended up having a good time in the Sphere Pool. I couldn't see that one coming and so it wasn't so strange that I couldn't see this one coming.

After a while, with a crowd of fans gathering around us, me and Lenne quickly forgot about that and focused on getting autograph after autograph signed. "Please sign this!" One kid screamed, holding out a blitz ball. "Okay okay!" I said, taking the ball and scribbling the name Tidus onto it. "Lenne, I'm your number one fan!" Somebody shouted to my left. "Yea, you and just about everyone here." I mumbled, rolling my eyes slightly. It was good that the mob didn't notice. All they cared about was getting our names onto things. I think I actually ended up signing some girl's thigh. The fans were insane, but then, I guess it helps to sell out all the games I've played in.

An hour or two, because I lost count, and we were through. The fans left content and we were left exhausted. So much shouting and all the arms jutting out of every corner with something that I could put my name on, it really made me dizzy. I also had a few paparazzi pictures taken of me. If I had to take a guess, the cover story of this week's CelebWatch magazine would feature the title, "Tidus and Lenne?" As if that was some kind of shocker. People take us celebrities and make it seem like we're nothing like them. It's like we're supposed to be by ourselves so that the fans could always picture marrying one of us. I couldn't even count how many times I've heard, "Marry me Tidus!" It seriously got on my nerves.

"So, all done signing?" Areth asked, strolling over with his ladylove. "Yea. Finally." I returned, yawning to show my weariness. I slumped to the floor and sat flat on my behind, staring up at the stars. Lenne collapsed right after me, sighing in relief that she didn't have another piece of paper to write her name on. "Are you okay?" I asked her. "I'm fine. My hand hurts, though." She said with a small laugh. I smiled and reached out, lifting her hand gently over to me. I put my other hand over hers and started to massage it, caressing her skin softly. "Feels good." She said, "Thank you." "It's my pleasure." I replied, kissing her hand and continuing to massage it afterward. "Aw, that's so sweet." Trista squealed, looking at us with a warm grin on her face. "You've changed rather dramatically, Trista." I said, trying to see if she was only faking. "Well, you have your friend to thank. I wuv my Arethie!" She said in baby talk, hugging the guy. Both me and Lenne gaped. The former creature of self-righteousness was acting like a love-happy girl, and very Kirin-like at that.

"Um, I hate to be raining on your picnic, but why are you two sitting on the floor?" A familiar voice said. "Oooh, are you tired Lennie?" Kirin chirped, jumping over my head and landing in front of us, nearly knocking Trista down. "Yea, I'm kind of tired. I just signed a million and one autographs and Sh… Tidus… was massaging my hand." Lenne said, nearly slipping with the name thing again. Letting my secret out once must have made her exceptionally cautious. "Oh, that's so sweet." Kirin said in an incredibly happy tone. "You missed the best part. Right before you came, Trista over there said that exact same sentence." I told her. "Trista?" She asked, looking behind her to see the summoner we all had grown accustomed to loathing, "Don't we not like her?" "I know. I've been a bitch for such a long time. I'm sorry." Trista said. "Oh, that's okay. What's important is that you're not such a meanie anymore." Kirin stated with a nod. "Anyway, the two of you okay? You need a lift back home?" Ju offered, walking up. "Nah, I'm fine." I answered, adding at the end, "Lenne, do you want them to get you home?" "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I don't really want to walk another step." She replied sleepily, sighing again. "No worries! Me and Ju can get ya home. Yup, no problem, Lennie!" Kirin replied, helping my love get back to her feet. I assisted, still holding the same hand from before. "Goodnight Lenne." I whispered, kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked. "Oh, c'mon! You're coming with us. Give Kai your keys and let them crash at your house. You're staying with Lennie." Kirin ordered. I nodded obediently and tossed Kai my house keys.

We started heading off to Ju's hover when Lenne faltered in her step. "Guess I really am tired." She said softly, her voice weak to show that she was truly worn out. I put one of her arms around my neck and lifted her up, putting one hand on her back and the other under her knees. "I got ya. Let's hurry up Kirin. I'm a little tired myself." I said. "Aw, isn't this sweet?" I heard from two different places. It was a fact. Trista had been Kirin-ized somehow. "Okay, yes cute. Now can we start walking?" I asked, trying to get Kirin to move. She giggled and hopped over to Ju and they both started heading back to the hover me trailing not far behind, a half-asleep Lenne in my arms.

It took around five minutes to get to Lenne's house. After they dropped us off, I got Lenne inside and got her in bed. "Goodnight." I said, kissing her on the forehead before heading to the couch I slept in whenever I stayed at her house. I could have taken a guest room, but for some reason, it just never occurred to me. In any case, I laid myself down onto the couch and drifted off.

Lenne woke me up later in the night. I didn't really have the awareness to figure out just when, but I knew I was really tired and groggy. "You don't have to sleep on the couch Shuyin." She said. "I know. But I never remember that you have guest bedrooms, too." I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "You can sleep with me if you want…" She shyly said, looking at the ground. "Are you sure?" I asked, starting to get nervous. "…I'm …sure…" She said with much hesitation. She must have been incredibly nervous to even ask me. I decided that I'd take her up on the offer, a bed being much more comfortable than a couch I could barely fit on. We headed up and got under the covers. However, if you were expecting something else to go on, I'm sorry to burst your bubble because Lenne was still tired and we ended up falling asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillows.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Machina War

"Bevelle attacks have continued to get more fierce. The death count is estimated to be five million so far. It has been estimated that another two million more will be dead by tomorrow. Yu Yevon, our city's grand leader, had this to say." I heard when I woke up. "As bad as it seems right now, I would like everyone in Zanarkand to know that help is on the way. Thanks to the support of our Zanarkand Abes, coupled with the support from one of our top summoners, Lady Lenne, Zanarkand engineers have been able to build incredible war machina." I heard Yu Yevon saying in his usual, I can calm a crazed fiend, way. "I can assure all of you, Zanarkand will not be in this war for too much longer." He continued. I finally decided to get up and I went to the next room where Lenne was sitting on the floor cross-legged, staring into the SV. "Bad news, huh." I asked her, making my presence known. "Oh, good morning Shuyin." She said, turning her head to look at me, tears dampening her cheeks. She got up and started to walk toward me, but I stopped her with a hug and said, "It'll be okay. Zanarkand's going to beat Bevelle and it's all thanks to us." Who was I kidding? I heard the numbers. Five million of my fellow citizens were already dead and it was guessed that another two million would follow. Sure, Zanarkand had a billion and plus people residing in its boundaries, but those numbers were extremely harsh. "I think you're right…" Lenne whispered, holding back a second ocean of tears. "I know it looks bad now, but just trust in Yu Yevon, right?" I suggested. She nodded and believed me even though I wasn't sure I believed myself.

I couldn't believe that this war had escalated into a full-blown machina war. Instead of just people shooting and killing other people, we had machines coming out of the woodwork to blow a dozen or more people away with a single missile. I was what I'd feared all along. The war was going too far and I had to figure out how to end it. Well, it wasn't my position to figure that out, but I couldn't stop thinking about it anyway. "C'mon Shuyin, Lenne. Let's get out there and kick some butt!" Kirin said from Lenne's comsphere. "Do you really think we can do anything against machina?" I asked her. "Why would we be fighting them?" She asked, obviously missing the news that had woken me up earlier. "Kirin, this war has become a machina war." I told her, seeing her shocked face on the screen. She called over Ju and he confirmed that it was indeed a machina war that was at hand. Kirin still couldn't believe it, walking away from the comsphere's view. "Shuyin, you know as much as I do that we can't just sit back and let the machina handle the war. As new as they must be, Zanarkand's engineers are in the business of luxury, not warfare. Bevelle's machina will still pound us if we don't try and get those machines some support." Ju said, taking over for Kirin as she paced in the background. "I know. This war's just gone way too far. You know how many are dead already, right?" I said. "Yea. It doesn't matter. Me and Kirin, you and Lenne, Rothel and that Larea girl, Damu, and even those new comers, Areth and Kai, we all have to do our part to help a Zanarkand victory. So are you in or out?" He said rather forcefully. I thought about it. Ju was absolutely right. Even if we weren't soldiers, it was our duty as citizens of Zanarkand to defend it from invasion. Bevelle wanted to take us down. We'd have to make them fight long and hard for it. "I'm in…" I answered, nodding for confirmation. Lenne followed, "I'm in, too." "Good, then meet us at Genusted Park so we can discuss what resources we have. Also, Kirin told me you have some kind of unsent friend. Maybe you could get his help, too." He returned. "Alright, I will." I said and then shut off the comsphere. Lenne was already set to go, but I still needed to freshen up. Couldn't fight a war with bed hair and morning breath, now can you?

In a half hour, we were in Lenne's hover, on our way to Zanarkand's largest park. "Hey bro." Rothel said upon seeing me. "Hey. So is everybody here?" I asked. "No, Areth and Kai haven't showed up yet." Ju said. "Okay, I'll try to call for Takuma while we wait." I offered, getting my hands cupped over my mouth to call for my unsent tutor in swordplay. "Don't bother, I'm here." Came the voice of the warrior known as Takuma. "Will you help us defeat Bevelle?" I asked the stoic swordsman. "Yes, I shall assist you." He stated plainly, crossing his arms and nodding. "Great." I said in synch with a happy chirp from Kirin. So the team consisted of myself with my sword, Takuma and his sword, Lenne and Larea with Aeons and Black Magic, Ju with Black Magic also, Kirin with daggers, Rothel with his spike ball, Galte with that lance, Damu with… well whatever he attacked with, and then, Areth and Kai with their gunblades. "I hope this all-star team is capable of handling machina." I said with much doubt in my voice. Not like swords do too much against steel plating. "Hey, don't forget you got me around." Damu called out, waving a hand in the air. "I didn't… Do you even know how to fight?" I asked. "I don't need to. Look what I bring the team." He said, pointing over to my right. I saw a huge airship parked right in the middle of a large patch of grass. It was fully loaded, bearing missile launchers and Gatling guns I had only ever seen in movies. "Wow… That airship is yours?" I asked as I stared at the large craft. "Yup, and not only that, but this baby's got tons of features. It has five concussion missile turrets that are automatic, two Gatling guns, and four Flare bomb holds." He explained. I was amazed by the artillery the ship carried. "How on Spira did you pay for that? I'm pretty sure it would put a dent into anybody's gil card." I asked. "Oh, I didn't buy it. Me and the Al Bhed crew, we built it by ourselves." He replied. "Well, the parts would cost a fortune, no?" I asked again. "Nope. We made all the weapons and the works and the materials were salvaged from an old airship that was being retired." He explained.

Minutes later, our newest teammates arrived. "Hey, how long we keep you guys?" Kai asked as he jumped out of the hover. Together with him was Areth as well as his love, Trista, someone whose change of heart I still found… disturbing. Regardless of the surprise I got when Vena fell in love with Kion, I still felt that someone who'd hated me for so long and tried to kill me once wouldn't suddenly have such a tremendous mood swing. I get how love can change you, but could it do that much? "Hi Tidus!" Trista shouted and ran over for a hug. Gripping me tightly, she gave a pretty rough squeeze, one that I only related to Kirin. It really made no sense. How did someone as cold and arrogant as her turn into someone fun loving and energetic as Kirin? "How are you? Did last night go well?" She continued, nudging me in the gut with her elbow. I was dumbfounded. First, she was all Kirin-like. Then, she got the Rothel syndrome. What was going on? "Uh… Well, we didn't actually…" I started to say, blushing slightly. "Aw, you didn't get any? C'mon Tidus! You gotta be more aggressive." She said just like Rothel would. What did this woman sniff? "Um… Well… It was just that I was so exhausted…" I said in defense, but she cut me off. "That's no excuse! She's your woman, isn't she? Well, how do you expect to keep her if you don't give her something to stick around for?" She shamelessly said. I dropped my jaw and just stared. Did she actually say that? Did those words actually come out of her mouth? She wanted me to sleep with Lenne because that was what a girl used as the glue to bind the relationship? Glue… bad item. Glue didn't remind me of something I wanted to think about. I despised Health class back in Junior High. "C'mon buddy boy. You need to get with the program. Girls love a man of action!" She exclaimed, grabbing me by the collar. "Uh… I'll try to keep that in mind?" I mumbled, trying to back away from her. Funny thing was that when she was trying to intimidate me, I kept pushing on. Once she became like this, someone who was giving me advice, I ended up becoming intimidated. "Alright Trissy, I think he's had enough for one day." Areth called out, smiling like a little kid. Trissy? This all happened in one day? I mean, sure, he took a week and a half to get to that one day, but did all this really happen in one day?

"Okay. If we could get back to business here?" The annoyed voice of Jurama resounded. Never get him annoyed. It could spell trouble if you know what I mean. "I'm… sorry…" Trista whimpered, sounding somewhat like Larea did when she first joined our little group. "It's okay, Trista. Ju's just got a very short fuse. You'll learn to love that just like the rest of us, right guys?" I said, asking my friends about our past encounters with the black mage. "Right! A couple of years ago, you'd never think I'd be with Ju, but once you get to know him, he's the greatest guy ever!" Kirin chirped, hugging Ju once she finished. That softened up the stoic wizard. He smiled warmly at my friend and we began to discuss our so-called battle strategies.

"Well, if we dealin' wit machina, I think we sunk." Rothel admitted, shaking his head. "If we have to fight machina, we just have to figure out their weakness. I think the last time I fought a machina, it had a pilot. If these new machina have pilots, all we have to do is focus on them." I offered. "Yea, but how do we get to those pilots without being blown to itty bitty bits?" Kirin said, making the boom sound of us getting killed. "Ya know, me and the Al Bhed work on machina all the time. The weakest part of any machina that I know of are the…" Damu started to say. "Joints!" Kirin chimed in, cutting Ju's best bud off. "Exactly! If we just attack the leg joints of any of those machina, it'll disturb their leverage and equilibrium. Those metal monkey's will come down before you can even say watch out below!" Damu finished up. "Yea, but how do we stay on the machina to hit those joints without the pilots knowing?" I asked. "Ain't that simple? Just make sure ya break the joint on the first shot, ya know?" Rothel answered me, patting my shoulder. "And how are we supposed to ensure that one, bro?" I questioned his solution, finishing up with a sarcastic tone. "You worry too much Tidus. I'm sure the skills we have are more than enough to take down our… I mean Bevelle's machina." Areth said, trying to stop my worrying. I almost agreed with him until Takuma finally chose to speak, "Don't get cocky. Machina aren't bullets. You can't deflect them. Machina aren't made of flesh. A sword, even something like your gunblade, can't cut through them." "Takuma's right. We are just a bunch of people. Those things are made of metal, really big, and have missiles that can blow us all to bits." I said, illustrating on my statement by making the wavy hand motions of a missile exploding. "Hey, don't forget we've got missiles, too!" Damu said, patting himself on the chest. "Okay, so we've got one big airship that has missiles. That'll protect you, but what about the rest of us?" I asked with much skepticism. "The rest of us will be protected by the combined power of three well-trained summoners." Larea said, putting a hand on both Lenne and Trista's shoulders. "I don't know if even Aeons can handle machina. They started to lose it when we were only facing a massive army of soldiers. If they could be beaten by a bunch of ill-trained Bevelle dorks, what makes you think a machina couldn't squash them?" I said, seeing Kai and Areth flinch at my mention of ill-trained Bevelle ranks.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." I apologized. "No, it's fine. We're the two from Bevelle. The rest of you are Zanarkand's people and you are all proud to be Zanarkand's people. We just have to get used to being new residents." Areth stated, a hint of sadness in his voice. I didn't blame him. Even if Zanarkand was treacherous and corrupt, I'd still feel upset at hearing outsiders say it was crap. "Take as long as you need to get used to being with us. You can stick up for Bevelle as much as you'd like. It's okay, I'd understand. I think we all would." I said. "You betcha! It's gotta be hard to leave home like that. Sure you still love it. Don't worry Areth. Don't worry Kai. Bevelle was your home for so long, it's gotta be tough to leave it." Kirin said.

"In any case, Tidus is right. Even with our Aeons, those machina are going to be hard to beat." Lenne said to bring back the subject at hand. "Oh Lennie. You can't count us short. We are the summoners of Zanarkand. A few machines can't beat us." Trista said, a spark of her old summoner's pride returning near the end of her sentence. "A few, maybe. Why not try a few million?" I said. "The kid's right. There is no way you can handle all of those machina. The lot of you will just end up getting yourselves killed… That's why I've thought of a better idea." Takuma inserted, "We let those machina destroy themselves. All we have to do is play decoys. We'll simply aim their fire back at them." That sounded like a plan. "You think we can do it?" I asked suddenly. "I'm sure you and I can. I don't know about the rest of them. The summoners have their Aeons. They are our cover. The black mage, too. I just don't know about the others." He stated lowly. "Ah, these guys can handle it. Kirin's faster than me! Rothel's got enough strategy in his head to know where to go. I don't know about Areth or Kai, but I think they can handle themselves, too, right?" I exclaimed, looking over in the Bevelle-comers' direction. "Hey, whatever you can do, Tidus, we can do just the same." Kai boasted, lifting his head up high and giving me a grin. "You need not worry about us, Tidus. We can hold our own in battle." Areth followed up.

We headed off. It really didn't take too long to get to the Calm Lands, that being where the battles had taken place all this time. It was extremely ironic to name it the Calm Lands. Even before this war, fiends infested this plain. Never in any day in my life had the Calm Lands actually been calm. With this war around, I'd never have to eat those words. The place was riddled with decaying bodies and broken machina. Pyreflies were all around, unmoving and not forming fiends or anything else. They just floated, idly watching as more of their kind were being freed from the bodies they'd formed. It was truly the worst name to give such a place.

"Look at this…" I muttered, staring at the scene. My mood grew dimmer with every view. Zanarkand military uniforms were strewn, tattered, across the field, flapping to free themselves from the corpses that proudly wore them… once. So many lives lost for a worthless cause. I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit. If one side would just stop attacking, maybe this could all just be a bad memory. What was the point of continuing anyway? Wouldn't looking at this cause them some grief? I knew that I didn't want to see this anymore. I trusted Yu Yevon, but I wasn't so sure he could solve this problem. At least, I didn't anymore. "We should perform a sending." Lenne suggested, looking at her fellow summoners. Each of the trio walked to an area of corpses and began the ritual, spiraling around and doing that weird dance.

"Here they come." Takuma announced, staring off past the Calm Lands and into Bevelle. "This is it? Let's make sure that when those machina get to Zanarkand, they get there looking like scrap!" I shouted, lifting my sword. If I wanted to stop this war, I'd have to do it myself. "What ya mean when? Those machina would be lucky they even get a screw on Zanarkand land, ya know?" Rothel stated, putting on his blitz face. "I'm sorry. Of course I meant if. If they get to Zanarkand. We'll make sure they don't." I replied, smiling. We set off, running toward Bevelle and to the mechanical menaces that we'd soon take apart.

The group got as close to Bevelle as possible, led by the two who knew best. Areth and Kai took us on the scenic route and got us really close to the city without being spotted. Just as Takuma said earlier, machina were already piling out, heading off to attack my home. I stared angrily at the metal beasts, each armed with some crazy weapon or another. "We attack now." Takuma muttered, heading off to carry out his plan. I ran up as fast as I could, followed soon after by everyone else. Damu was waiting back at Zanarkand for any machina we might miss. With his decked-out airship coupled with Zanarkand's new line of war machina, our home would be fine. I dodged a foot as it slammed into the ground near me. Quickly, I climbed up the leg and swiped the joint acting as a knee for the machine. Luckily, my blade cut straight through. As I leapt off of the weapon, it squealed, metal scraping metal, and fell toward another approaching machina. Both came tumbling down with a tremendous explosion. "Nice job Tidus!" Kirin called out, stabbing her dagger into the treads of another machina, this one a cannon type. A nearby defender machina moved it's arm to try and grab my blonde friend, but she slyly jumped the moment it got to her position and chucked a coagulant charge at it. Both of the metal creatures were entangled and struggled to break the bonds, but they both failed, ultimately ending with the defender losing its balance and toppling over the tank.

This continued on for a while, all of our strategies of turning Bevelle's weapons against them working beautifully. A few times a machina would get the upper hand on one of us, mostly Rothel for being over-zealous and cocky, but that didn't stop us. Lenne, Larea, and Trista had our backs. When I was being crushed by the fist of one of the machina, Trista's Shiva saved me, freezing the mech's hand and shattering it. I followed through by using Spin Cut on the thing, severing it in half. Rothel, as I said, was the one with the most problems, getting his spike ball stuck here or yelling at a machina only to lure the next one standing behind him. Thankfully, he was one of the guys that had his own personal guardian angel. She goes by the name Larea. Each time it looked like my buddy was biting off more than he could chew, his girl would always send a blazing Flare or a fierce Ultima spell his attacker's way.

After a while of slagging off those machina, I began to think about something. Most of the machina they had didn't have pilots. They were all being run without human control. It got me thinking that maybe the machina were being remotely controlled by some main building. Perhaps, if we could find that building, we'd be able to stop all of the machina, all at once. Although, with this easy plan came another thought. How was it that a city priding itself on its war machina was being so easily defeated time and time again? It didn't make sense. The first battle I fought in had no machina present. Bevelle only sent soldiers, all of which fled or died. The second featured about five machina walkers, each beaten by simply keeping the enemy soldiers nearby. Then, this pre-emptive strike on the machina came and we were breaking them without even breaking a sweat. Something didn't add up. "I think someone's playing us for fools. Why else would these machina be so easily defeated?" I said, elaborating by motioning my arm over to the heap of flaming machina remains over to the side. "It's not that. We've got a good plan. That Takuma guy over there knows his stuff." Kai offered. "It isn't even really that. The lot of us are talented fighters and with the strength of three high summoners of Zanarkand, who on Spira could possibly stop us?" Areth added, his praise of our little group of vigilantes becoming slightly over-exaggerated. "Something doesn't feel right." I muttered to myself, continuing on to take down more of the enemy machines.

"Hey is this a private party or can any crazy friend of a black mage join in on this fun?" A voice radioed in. "Damu? What are you doing here? You're supposed to wait at Zanarkand to make sure you can pick off the ones we miss!" I shouted up at him, unsure if he'd hear me or not. I watched as his airship swooped down and launched missile after missile, fired round after round of Gatling gun ammo, and completely wiped out Bevelle's toys. "Great job, Damu…" I muttered, continuing to view the destruction of Bevelle's machina army. A small band of people along with a perky airship pilot just defeated the most terrifying machina army in all of Spira… Something was wrong…


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Personal Scars, The First Step

What could it have been? Why was Bevelle being so easy to defeat? What were they up to? I knew I should have been grateful for the victories, but it just couldn't bode well for Zanarkand. I thought about the possibility that Bevelle was toying with us, allowing us to build confidence so that when they unleashed their true intentions, we'd be completely overwhelmed, as well as, humiliated for ever thinking we could attain victory.

"What's wrong, Shuyin?" Lenne asked me as we walked the oddly empty streets of downtown Zanarkand. "Nothing's wrong. It's just that… I don't… I just don't know how to say it." I muttered. After all, why should I make her worry when I wasn't even sure if Bevelle was truly being easy on us or not. There wasn't a reason to cause anyone else alarm until I was sure. "Shuyin, if something's wrong, just tell me." She pleaded. Well, what did I really expect? I usually told her what I was thinking. I was keeping things from her. "It's not what you think. I just don't think I need to say anything about it just yet… At least, not until I'm sure. It's just a stupid idea that got in my head anyway." I told her.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. I knew Lenne was still thinking on what I wouldn't tell her. Maybe she already knew. I didn't care at that point. I couldn't figure out what was what until the next battle. I needed a hostage…

A few days later, Bevelle came at us again. They had some foot soldiers around also; perfect for me. I focused all my attention on injuring at least one of their forces to get myself some answers. Instead, I must have severed over thirty heads and fatally wounded countless others. They must have been informed about what Zanarkand might do and so made sure that should they be unable to fight, they'd also be unable to leak information. It was rather frustrating to fail. I should have thought of the plan sooner. Of course, I didn't even think about Bevelle's trickery before. They were a little craftier than I'd given them credit for.

Finally, I managed to stab someone through the kidney. He wasn't going anywhere. "You're coming with me." I whispered beneath my breath, a wicked smile glinting across my face. I dragged the soldier quickly, making sure nobody saw me. It was quite the stunt. After all, pulling a bleeding body across a battlefield to a covered area wasn't exactly easy. I had to slice up a few of the guy's friends or dodge a machina's missile fire and that only got me to a small ditch. I figured it was as good a place as any to ask him what's up. "So, now that we're all nice and cozy in this little hole, how about you tell me why Bevelle is being such a pushover? C'mon, fill me in." I said coyly, gripping the man's collar tightly. "I'll never tell you anything you Zanarkand slime." He sneered, trying to spit in my face. I dodged the shot and pushed my fist into his jaw before asking the same question again. "You'll never get anything out of me!" He shouted defiantly.

I actually found myself admiring the soldier. He wasn't going to give into pain and tell me what I wanted to know. If roles were reversed, I wonder if I'd have that much strength. Then again, I'd probably have that much arrogance. In any case, as much as I admired him, I still needed answers. "Alright, I know about what Bevelle is trying to do and I can tell you now, it's not gonna work." I said outright. He only laughed, saying, "You fool. You haven't got a clue about what we're doing. That threat is even more empty then you realize." Well, at least that told me something. It told me that Bevelle was indeed planning something. Bevelle really was playing with us. However, because I knew, Bevelle's plans might not go so well. "Thanks for letting me know idiot." I jeered, slapping his cheek lightly. "You think that you know everything now? On the contrary, you still know nothing. Sure, I told you that we are up to something, but… what?" He said with a wide grin. "Don't you dare be coy with me. I'm a little more dangerous than you give me credit for." I warned, grasping his collar tighter. He only laughed some more. He had no reason to fear me. I was the one in need of some enlightening. He had all the information and he could let me know as much as he wanted me to know. I was completely at his mercy even though the scene suggested otherwise. What did it really matter that I had my hand on his collar? I wasn't going to kill him and he knew it. He knew I needed to keep him alive. He knew all my threats were completely empty. "Look, give me a break? You really think that if you told me anything, I'd be capable of stopping all of you myself?" I asked, trying a new tactic: sympathy. "You know, you really are pathetic. Don't worry though. I think that we were supposed to show you guys what's up pretty soon. Just have some patience." He replied with a smirk. I was beginning to grow frustration. "Alright… You wanna play these games with me. How's this one?" I sneered, lifting him to his feet. Without a second thought, I plunged my blade into his side, a wound that still wasn't fatal. He grunted, but kept up his composure. "Still can't kill me, huh? Even though I'll never tell you anything, you just can't kill me. You are so pathetic. I don't even know why he hates you so much." He said, looking at me with much distaste. "Thank you…" I replied, letting him go and slamming my sword straight down the length of his body, cutting him in two.

I had to find that bastard that thought he could lie to me. "Areth!" I screamed when I saw the blue-haired traitor. "Tidus? Is something the matter?" He asked me, still trying to keep up his charade. "I know what you've been up to. There's no hiding it anymore!" I said lowly, grabbing him by the neck. "Tidus, what are you doing?" Kai chimed in, seeing his friend being helplessly strangled to death. "You're friend's been with Bevelle all along! I just heard a soldier tell me everything!" I mouthed, continuously glaring holes into my prey. "Oh… no…" He replied, knowing full well that his plans were foiled. "And… you're probably in on it, too!" I said, lifting my blade to Kai's throat. "What's going on here!" Kirin yelled, fast approaching our location. Explosions sounded in the distance, returning some of my attention to the battle that still raged. "Why are you trying to kill those two?" She continued, pulling at my arm. "They've been spies this whole time!" I screamed, gripping Areth's neck tighter. The suffocating man recklessly grabbed my arm and gasped, "It's not what you think… I thought they'd given up on that plan… Honestly! Please let me explain!" With a pleading look from Kirin, I hesitantly released him, "You had better make up an incredible story to tell." I breathed, never pulling my eyes from him. "I'm sure Kai's told you about my behavior the last time you visited Bevelle." He stated, "It was then that I spoke with the leaders and told them of an interesting game plan for us to use against Zanarkand. Mostly, I wanted to get some form of revenge on you, since I was completely envious of your success. I suggested that Bevelle make a few losing runs at Zanarkand to build up your confidence. That way, when we'd actually hit you with our true force, we'd utterly crush you and humiliate you to no end. That was my goal. I just wanted to see you suffer the pains of defeat like you've always made others feel." "So you are a traitor then, no?" I asked harshly. "No… You see, this is why I rebelled against my home. I realized that my actions were sour and sought to correct them. I never knew Bevelle would still utilize my ideas. The last attack we prevented was, in my mind, the real thing. I thought they were truly trying to take down Zanarkand from then on. I guess I was mistaken. Believe me, Tidus. I'm not your enemy… at least not anymore." He solemnly stated, looking at the ground as the battle continued nearby. "Riddle me this then, Areth. If you're not in on this, why haven't we been attacked yet?" I asked him, suspicion still active in my mind. "Oh, I can explain that one!" Kirin chimed in, raising her arm like she was answering a teacher's question in school, "I pulled off my Magic Mix overdrive and made us a shield. Even if they wanted to attack us, they can't get through." "Areth… Why'd you do this? Why didn't you even tell me about it?" Kai mumbled somewhat angered. He walked over to his friend and lifted him off the ground by his collar. "Kai… I'm so sorry. I was not myself… You should know. That defeat the Abes handed us seriously made a mess of my mind. I wasn't myself and because of it, I made the mistake of a lifetime. I hope you can forgive me…" He whispered solemnly still, a tear sliding down his cheek. "Of all the stupid things you've ever done, this one really tops 'em all. But… I guess that's what friends are for, huh?" Kai replied, putting him down, "Just remember that if you do it again, Tidus here won't get a chance to kick your ass 'cause I'll kill ya first."

So Areth had been responsible for this strategy of warfare that Bevelle was using. However, it was before he even joined our ranks making him not a traitor… Could I believe this? I guess the words of accusation are a little more readily accepted as opposed to the words of restoration. Although, Areth didn't deny anything. He completely accepted his mistake so I was being harsh for doubting him. If he really wanted to harm us, wouldn't it have been more profitable to just deny my words and make himself the one who was capable of no wrong? "Tidus, I'm extremely sorry… I'm ashamed of my actions. Please forgive me… Please..." Areth cried, his form shriveled like a disobedient child desperate for the embrace of a loving parent. "Don't worry… I can understand. Besides, better late then never, right?" I said with as much of a smile as I could muster. My mind wouldn't forgive him, but my heart knew it was the right thing to do.

Regardless of the result of this situation, I had a battle to win. That episode took me away from my current task of taking down Bevelle. All of us left the safety of Kirin's shield and took our positions. Areth stuck close by me, most likely as an attempt to redeem himself in my eyes. Kai stuck by also, more over due to Areth's prodding rather than actual preference. Areth wanted to regain both of our trust and having the two of us nearby would make it easier. Soldiers and smaller machina came at us from every-which-way. I tried to take down a few, but Areth jumped right in and took them down for me. He was really trying hard to make me believe him. "Okay! Okay! I get that you've changed. Stop fighting my targets for me, alright?" I told the man slightly exasperated as I was. I quickly moved away from him and found my own patch of Calm Land to make my stand. I noticed from afar that Kai was also trying to distance himself from the guy. He was overdoing it with a fury.

As I returned my attention to my own location, I saw a group of Bevelle's forces making their way towards me. I unsheathed my sword and waited for their first attack. One of the machina came at me first, the pilot using the mech's arm to pound me into the ground. I leapt into the air, landed on the arm and allowed retaliation. The pilot lifted the same arm, throwing me into the air. An unfortunate move on his part, as I spun and crashed my weapon down upon the main body of the machina, also being the part that housed the pilot. With a loud explosion, I took down my first opponent since the Areth incident.

The rest came at me, slashing here and there or firing anywhere else. I blocked and parried the sword swipes and deflected or dodged the projectiles. The machina that was sent after me had no missile turrets so I didn't need to worry so much about that. And, those machina that possessed such weapons weren't coming near me anyway due to the soldiers that were engaging me. They wouldn't want to fire at me and kill their own now would they? I continued to pick apart the group, mostly by letting them defeat themselves. Either I'd parry one of their attacks into the next guy, or I'd let the pilots in their machina bash their friends into the dirt. Frustration was something I loved to utilize, taking advantage of unfocused and exasperated foes while they thought of nothing but seeing my blood on the edges of their blades.

"So how goes the fight?" Lenne said when we somehow found ourselves together. "It's been good. How about you?" I asked lightly, the true tension of the day seemingly passed. "I heard about Areth. Do you trust him anymore?" She asked me with a bit of worry evident in her tone. "I don't know yet. What about you? What do you make of this?" I asked her back, hoping to get some ideas. "I think we can trust him. He's done so much to make up for what he's done. I think he really feels bad about his past mistakes." She replied. "That's what I was thinking. He made one mistake that he originally made only because he was fazed by the loss and now he's trying too much to make up for it. I mean he actually begged for my forgiveness. I guess I should just give him a break." I admitted. With a smile, she went back into the fray, me following close behind. Together, we took down several soldiers, either burnt, shocked, or etc. by her many spells, or skewered by my blade. I slammed my sword into soldier after soldier, tearing through a horde of their ranks. Lenne had summoned Shiva in the meantime, the icy Aeon making quick work of most of the machina with her Heavenly Strike ability.

Somewhere down the line, I decided to just let Lenne take over, taking on the job class of her back-up. She didn't seem to notice, her spell-casting taking away most of her concentration. Shiva was dancing all over Bevelle, but was steadily tiring. Lenne took care in watching her Aeon's stamina, eventually calling back the ice princess to keep her from destruction. "Are you going to let a girl fight your battles for you?" A random Bevelle officer said. I gazed at Lenne who looked back at me. I shifted my view from her to him and then back. "Sure… why not." I told the soldier. "Show them just why I don't need to worry about you." I said with a grin. With a small giggle, she gave me a nod and I started to walk off. I made sure not to get too far away though. I wanted to be close-by when she embarrassed the loud mouth. A few guys started to interrupt, but I made quick work of them to watch my girl in action. At first, it looked like she was simply humming a tune. However, by the looks of it, that harmless melody was easily turning all of those soldiers into puppets. This was the power of my songstress. This was her overdrive, the Siren's Song. Lenne could hypnotize anyone with her voice and so it became one of her strongest weapons, quite possibly stronger than even her Grand Summon ability. Each of the men sloppily raised their weapons to one another and murdered themselves for her. Such was the power of my love's voice. No matter who the opponent, hear the melody of her enchantment and you're lost amongst the notes until she chooses to release you from her spell. You really didn't want to mess with her.

"But you might not want to try me either!" I shouted, charging my blade and performing my overdrive of Force Rain on a horde of reinforcements that had stampeded my way since Lenne's show. I leapt into the air and aimed by blade at them, firing a massive wave of energy straight into their ranks. Each vaporized in an instant. "See, while she's got finesse, I've got raw fury." I finished in front of no one, positioning myself in a stance. "Oh you big show-off." Larea said, approaching with Rothel. "Ya wiped 'em clean offa Spira, ya know? Coulda saved me a couple, though." He said, following up on his girlfriend. "Hey, there's plenty more where those guys came from. Why don't you go find them, huh?" I mused, poking my best friend in his gut, "A guy with a developing gut like yours might need it." "What gut! You see a gut 'round here?" He immediately retaliated, his physique being one of the easiest targets for mockery. "Well, what else can you call that pudgy thing over here?" I teased, giving his stomach another light poke. "That would be a six-pack and I ain't talkin' 'bout liquor, ya know?" He replied, throwing his head up high. "Okay, fine. I give. Anyway, how goes the day? Take down a big round number of them or what?" I asked, changing the subject. "Meh, these guys are too easy. I don't think that they can even get any better than this. Some real attack, ya know?" He told me, obviously having the knowledge of Areth's former plans. "So Kirin told you?" I asked him, guessing that it must have been the overzealous blonde. "Surprise surprise, but I heard the news from the devil himself." He replied. "Areth told you? But…" I started. "Yea, he told me... and then he apologized… and apologized… AND APOLOGIZED! I was gettin' so tired of his sorry ass that I just had to get as far from him as I could, ya know? What's wit him?" He said, making sure to voice his boredom with Areth's incessant self-loathing. "He's just really upset that he even thought about those things before. I mean revenge isn't a pretty thing, right?" I answered, making the most of the situation.

It was good that for the moment, the battle seemed to have shifted away from our location. Perhaps my light show scared them off. Either that or maybe the guys wanted to give us a breather and dragged them away for a while. "You and Larea seem to be getting kinda close, from my viewpoint." I said to my friend when we got away from the girls. "Yea, you and that Lenne seem to be getting' 'kinda close', too. Am I gonna be an uncle soon?" He joked, elbowing me in the gut a few times. "As if. You know I'm still just a dumb virgin. Maybe I should be asking the same of you and Larea." I returned, pushing his arm from me. "What? Me and L? Ya think?" Came his response. "I see I've struck a cord. Guess that means I'm right. Let me see… Uncle Shuyin. It sounds a little strange, but I think I can get used to it." I teased, smirking at my slightly blushing friend. "Eh, cut that out will ya? It just never came to me that we might… I just never thought… Well, ya know!" He said, struggling with himself to find the right and/or appropriate words. "Oh c'mon. You know that whatever you do, I'm with you. I really find it heartwarming that you've finally settled on one person and not everyone else that wants a piece of you." I said with a pat to his back. "I know… Whateva for now, ya know? We got a fight to get back to." He finished up, moving back to where the girls were.

"So you ready for round two?" I asked Lenne. "I'm ready if you are." She replied with a smile, tapping my nose with her finger. I took her hand and we ran back into the fray. That was when the something I feared came to pass. Hundreds of bodies littered the ground, all of them bearing Zanarkand uniforms. "Oh no…" I muttered, stopping in front of one, "So Bevelle finally had enough. I guess this is when we really need to get to work." "Where have the four of you been!" Takuma shouted, grabbing me roughly by my collar. "I… I didn't realize they'd attack like this… What's happened?" I quietly admitted, unable to look my mentor in the eyes. "They've taken out all the foot soldiers and brought in heavily armored machina, ones that swords can't penetrate. We needed your Force Rain and three MegaFlares wouldn't have been so bad either. Do you even understand what's going on? This is a war, Shuyin… This isn't a game! You don't keep up your focus and Zanarkand is gone forever. Don't ever let me catch you dozing off again." He sneered, letting me go to attack more enemies. "I really messed up… We shouldn't have been talking like this. I guess…" I started to say. "Hey, don't ya dare start up that Areth crap, okay? One downa is more than enough. 'sides, we's was goofin' off, too. If you made a mistake, so did all four o' us, ya know?" Rothel cut me off, pushing me forward to stop feeling sorry for myself and at least keep the problem from worsening.

Quickening my pace, I sped at a large machina and went right after its leg joint. After I landed, I found that I barely made a dent in the metal creature. All I actually managed to do was get its attention, as well as the attention of its surrounding allies. They each opened missile turrets and fired. I had to run at my top speed and even then, the force of the explosion threw me a good five yards. "I told you our swords aren't a match." Takuma said, making his close proximity known. "Well then, try this on for size!" Rothel yelled in the distance, hurling his spike ball at the machina. That did even less damage than my earlier assault. "You imbecile. What makes you think that your weapon would have any better luck?" Takuma frustratedily grumbled. "You'll have to forgive us. We're blondes and not very quick on these matters." I chimed in to lighten the mood, as was my natural programming. "Enough of the wise-cracks! This isn't the time or place for that. Now, shape up and concentrate." The warrior grunted, leaving us in his shadow.

After that, I truly did focus for fear of disappointing Takuma again. I concentrated my attacks on machina joints still, but this time, I made sure that I clung to them until the job was complete. That way, the machina's allies wouldn't be able to come to its aid. You didn't really want to fire a missile at a weakened machina joint now would you? It just wouldn't be cost effective. Be rid of one soldier by demolishing one of your own machina. Meanwhile, that one machina could have taken down hundreds more. I left Bevelle without a choice in the matter. They'd have to wait patiently for me to finish with what I was doing and try to hit me while I moved between machina. Being a parasite can be fun, no? Of course, there were the times when an allied machina would decide it would be more profitable to just be down one machina to exterminate one leech, that being me, and actually fire. That's when my agility came into play, leaping from the prior machina and landing on the latter. Any good parasite knows that the sole purpose of one should be to destroy the host, that being whichever machina I was perched on, to ensure one's own survival. I must have taken down about ten of them by the time I was caught.

I mean it had to happen eventually. I tired and my leap became sloppy, this causing my failure to escape one of the explosions. I landed in a heap, completely surrounded by the burning rubble and shrapnel of fallen machina as well as the other, still functioning, ones that closed in on their long awaited prey. I braced for a fiery death as the machina came ever closer, targeting systems focused on just me. At the time, I could have taken some delusional satisfaction that I alone was being targeted by so many enemy forces. Just to be rid of me, there were around five or maybe eight of them readying their weapons to destroy me utterly.

"You aren't gonna hurt my friend down there, are ya?" A voice shot out from nowhere. Suddenly, all the machina around me crashed to the ground, becoming just like the smoldering carcasses of those I had felled earlier. "What the…?" I mumbled. "You didn't think I'd let you go out like that did you?" Damusa's voice cried out from his airship. "Damu? Thanks buddy!" I shouted up towards him, unsure of whether or not my voice actually reached.

The save was short lived, though. It all happened in about five seconds. One of the surrounding machina had taken aim on Damu's airship while he was busy saving my life. The missile hit right next to the bridge, meaning that even if he'd survived the blast, he'd be trapped inside. "NO! Damu! Please get out of there…" I muttered, completely struck by awe as I watched what happened afterward. Damu had survived the missile. Unfortunately, instead of even making the attempt to bail, he merely rammed the airship into his assailant, using the ship's momentum to carry both flaming bodies into a dozen others before finally crashing to the ground with a huge explosion. "Damu!" I screamed, racing to the crash site. As I moved, I noticed Ju and Kirin also speeding with me, despair shown blatantly. We reached the area and luckily, if you can even say that, we saw his body. Charred beyond return, his corpse lay burning for us to see. Ju broke down, pounding the ground with more emotion than I'd ever seen anyone, especially a black mage, display. Kirin just stood silently over him, tears falling endlessly. I couldn't do anything. My mind blanked. I shook tremendously, some emotion, be it anger or regret boiling inside me. It wasn't like before when Kirin and Lenne were at gunpoint. This time, Damu was gone. It was far too late to even try to rescue him. He was gone.

We didn't even really get enough time to actually mourn. One of those stupid pieces of metal trash came our way and tried to crush us with its legs. We dodged it, but we couldn't save him. The machina crushed the remains of our friend right before our eyes. I lost it right then. "You didn't just do that." I breathed, my eyes flaring with vengeance and bloodlust. I roared a most inhuman sound and ran right in, slashing at all parts of the machina. My anger and hatred fueled my attacks and made them ever more destructive. When I finished my onslaught, the machina toppled to the ground and exploded. I didn't notice it then. Instead, I just kept going, attacking anything in my path with complete abandon. Ju was still out of it. Kirin had to walk him to safety. I didn't mind. Somehow, I felt like a different person then. All I could feel was hate, hate for Bevelle and what they had done to my friend. I ran through the entire battlefield, tearing apart as many machina as I could find. Finally, I had enough in me to charge my blade again. I used my Force Rain ability once more, taking down the remainder of Bevelle's machina.

"Lenne, watch out!" Larea screamed, catching my attention. Time froze. I looked to my left and saw that one lingering soldier was seconds away from skewering my Lenne at the end of his gunblade. I couldn't let it happen again. I had already lost Damusa this day. I wasn't about to lose my love, as well. "Lenne! Get out of the way!" I said, pushing her to her right as I ran in. The soldier's blade tore into my waist, extending out from my backside. The pain was tremendous. As my vision refocused, I saw the soldier smirking at me with the same smirk I'd seen on Areth's face. He pulled the blade upward slightly and I winced from the enlargement of cut, my limping body falling towards my attacker. At last, pushing his boot against my chest, he pulled his weapon out of my body, allowing me to fall to the floor. He aimed the weapon at my face and smirked again before putting his finger on the trigger. However, Lenne had gotten back her footing since I shoved her into Larea and in a wave of rage, the soldier was engulfed in darkness, energy waves striking him numerous times.

"Shuyin!" Was the last thing I heard from my love before darkness took me.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Concert amidst the Chaos

Luckily, the wound I suffered wasn't fatal. However, it did put me on the bench for quite the while. The doctors told me that I shouldn't move around too much for at least another month. That meant that I was out of the war... at least temporarily. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, the last fight I was in landed Damusa dead and Lenne nearly gutted. I needed to cool down and regain my discipline.

"What are you thinking?" Lenne asked while gazing at my bandages. "I guess I should be glad that that gunblade only injured me and not... well, you know..." I managed to say. It wasn't as if I could just tell her I was glad to be out of action. She'd think I was some sort of pain-lover, like a masochist or something. "I'm glad for that, too." She replied, a tone of melancholy resonating with each syllable. I nearly died to save her. Guess she was worried I'd try that stunt again. She was right in worrying. I'd never hesitate a moment if I knew she was in danger. It's just what you do for love.

"Hey! Since you'll be on the bench for a little while, I think I've got an idea. Why not sit on a better bench, hmm?" She riddled, grinning at me. "What are you getting at?" I asked, completely in the dark about her schemes. Better bench? What was that supposed to mean? "Well, I've been meaning to try something that might ease the nerves of Zanarkand's citizens. Care to come to my aid on this one?" She continued, strolling around idly with her hands behind her back. "I'll always be there for you, m'lady. And I think I just might have figured out your plan. So what exactly do you need me for?" I asked, realizing that she was hinting at a special concert, one to lift up the spirits of our fearful and despairing people. "Well, you've gotten awfully good at the piano; why not show them what you've got?" She replied, lightly touching my hands. "You want me to play? Well, I guess I could try one song. I wrote it myself and I think it might just be what you want out of this thing." I said, pondering the thought of that song. Perhaps I should play it for Zanarkand.

It was settled. The concert would take place one week from the day, featuring the debut performance of Tidus, star blitzer of the Zanarkand Abes. Rehearsal was a mini-concert for Lenne. She really got off singing her songs in front of her staff. I noticed that the woman I made fall unconscious so many months back was still wowing over our song. Something about Lenne's singing was just magical. There was always this sense of tranquility while her songs resounded. It was something to experience.

We arrived at the Sphere Dome late in the evening. It was a rather quick and uneventful week. Mostly, we were either trying to hold ourselves together after Damu's death or trying to cover up our grief through rehearsing. I still couldn't believe Damu was gone. To think how many lives I'd ended; it was my time to suffer the same loss.

The road to the Sphere Dome was unbelievably crowded. Even with my "underground," we still encountered several problems. "I can't believe I actually got a ticket! Woohoo!" Somebody screamed in excitement over to my left. When I looked over, I noticed that it was the same old man I'd met before in Bevelle; the one I accidentally knocked over. "Oh, it's you!" I said, extending my hand. "Eh? What was that? Sorry, sonny, you're going to have to speak up a bit. My ears aren't what they used to be." He replied, straining his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you remember me? I'm Shuyin. How have you been? Have anymore of those dreams lately?" I asked him, somewhat louder this time around. I was actually a little embarrassed to say that I didn't remember his name, if I even got it. "I'm sorry but I don't seem to recall a Shuyin. Where did you say you knew me from?" He said, still squinting like that would help him identify me any better. "Never mind, I wasn't really too important anyway. Enjoy the concert, okay?" I told him, leaving him to his peaceful little world.

As usual, the place was crowded. I can say that because every time the Abes had a game, the stadium was always littered with people cheering their lungs out, regardless of which team they were cheering. Therefore, seeing all those people really wasn't anything new. Lenne took me to the backstage area where she fixed up my outfit like she usually did even when there wasn't a concert. She was just a bit more diligent this time around.

"We have a real treat for you tonight ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, in his primetime debut, Ultima Entertainment brings you Tidus, star blitzer for the Zanarkand Abes. Let's give Tidus a round of applause." Some announcer said, pointing toward me when he was done. I casually waved at the audience and performed a light bow, my usual cockiness taking over. I certainly did a number on creating this cover life for myself. "Thank you for your warm reception, ladies and gents. Now, I'd like to play a song I wrote myself. Please enjoy the melody and hopefully my musical abilities can calm you all in this time of... interest shall we say?" I spoke, my words as apathetic yet as caring as I could make it. It was the star's method of speech. You had to make it seem like you were on top of the world, but also make it so that they know you are going through the same problems they face. "The song is entitled, Eternity's Memory." I said with a finish, placing myself in front of the piano.

I played my soothing tune to the end, hoping that my talents were able to ease the tension of my beloved city and home. I hit each chord and kept the rhythm and beep just right, hearing much desired applause afterward. It was my wish that the people of Zanarkand could take comfort in my song, maybe also to help ease my own pain, as well.

"And now, what you guys all came here to see. Lenne! You're on!" I announced after taking my second bow. Lenne stepped onto the stage and smiled at me as she passed. I quickly moved back to the backstage area and watched from behind the curtain. "She's lovely isn't she?" A voice whispered from behind. "Yea... she is..." I whispered back, not taking my eyes off her. "Are you all ready to have fun?!" Lenne called out. The crowd screamed. "Take care of her Shu." The voice whispered again. "What do you mean?" I said, quickly turning to face the mystery person. He was gone. "Who was that?" I muttered to myself as I slowly returned my attention to my songstress.

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you? Get down

What can I do for you? Alright  
What can I do for you?

I can hear you!  
What can I do for you? Oh oh

What can I do for you? Ooh baby

What can I do for you?

Ano hi kokoro no kanata ni egaiteta basho ni iru  
Tohou ni kure detari suru keredo mou modorenai

Yume ni mita katachi to wa  
Nani mo kamo ga chigau  
Genjitsu ni wa memai sae suru

I reminisced on what her song signified while she sang:

_She'd told me that she wasn't sure where her life was going until that day nearly a year ago. After seeing my shadowy form enter into the light in her first ever blitz game, she couldn't fathom ever going back to how her life was. Apparently, I'd given it some kind of spark, one that changed her forever._

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Maketakunai  
Mou tada hashiru shika nai kono mune ni  
Kikoete kuru  
Kimi wa hitori jyanai

_She'd always run away from challenges, always trying to be docile. It made her hate herself for being so weak. With me around, she told me she felt strong. She started to grow a more assertive side, no longer hiding her true grace. I was glad_ _to be a key factor of that part of her life._

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?  
I can hear you!  
What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

Kesshite furimuki wa shinai anata ni wa tayoranai  
Nanika ga areba kanarazu sugu ni kite kureru kara

Ima boku ni dekiru koto  
Sore wa shinjiru koto  
Shinjitsu nara kono mune ni aru

_"I'll always be there for you Lenne. You can count on it." I said. That was quite a while back. Her reply was, "I know I can count on you, but I'll also try to do things on my own. I think I can now....thanks to you."_

Wait... this wasn't a part of the original song. She must have added it in later. You can always be assured that I'll be there for you Lenne. I promise you that.

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjyou  
Sasaeru no wa  
Sou anata ga oshietekureta subete  
Ima no watashi  
Daraka, hitori jyanai

_"Remember to look away from your target and even move like you aren't going for it. That way, it'll be that much more of a surprise once you go for it." I told her while we were swimming around in the Sphere Pool. "I'll remember." She replied, diligently trying to understand what I was asking of her._

_"Lenne, stay low! They can't get at you if they can't detect you. Try to breathe deeply, but quietly. Also, don't move around if you can avoid it. Let them come to you. You wanna be in the predator's position as long as you can. Don't ever take your eyes off them. It could mean life and death." I had told her when we were in the Calm Lands waiting for fiends. She learned a lot that day. It was also when she found the Ixion fiend. Attacking wasn't her forte until then. I remember having to come to her aid a few times, but in the end, she was stronger because of it. She was trying to tell me that with this added verse to her song._

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What can I do for you?

What what what... What can I do for you?

I can hear you...

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Kanjitemo  
Anata ga me wo tojita nara soko ni iru  
Kizuna ga aru  
Dakara, hitori jyanai

_I wasn't sure if she loved me the first time I felt that I loved her. Up until this concert, I still wasn't sure. Well, it was daunting over me that the feeling must have been mutual, but I was still afraid. I was afraid of loving someone only to lose her again. I lost my mother at a rather young age after all._

_Lenne was right though. She's gotten so strong since last year. She's a full-fledged high summoner with the strongest batch of Aeons around. Her black magic is extremely potent and I wouldn't be surprised if her Siren's Song took hold of my mind. I guess I should rely on her strength as well and not just play guardian angel all the time. She wasn't the only one who needed support. Sometimes, I need her help, too. I'm glad that I could always count on her, as well._

Riaru na sekai ni yureteru kanjou  
Maketakunai  
Mou tada hashiru shika nai kono mune ni  
Kikoete kuru  
Kimi wa hitori jyanai

What can I do for you? Get down

What can I do for you? Alright

What can I do for you?  
I can hear you!  
What can I do for you? Oh oh

What can I do for you? Oh baby

What can I do for you?  
I can hear you!

I can hear you!

And with that, she finished our song. The crowd cheered wildly, shouting, "Encore, encore!" I wouldn't have minded another song myself. "Well, if that's what you people want, that's what you'll get." Lenne shouted with a few giggles, "This next song is a new one I wrote and I think you'll enjoy it. It was inspired by someone very dear to my heart and all the experiences we've been through together. The name of the song is Suteki da ne." Isn't it wonderful? What was that? She wrote a new song? Experiences? I would soon find out what this new song was as she took to the mic yet again.

Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni  
Oyoida kokoro  
Kumo ga hakobu ashita ni  
Hazunda koe

What did that mean? Did she want to tell me something? She's encouraged to say what she feels by what she believes the future will be. If her future looked like the future I kept envisioning in my dreams, I'd rather try to say something that could change it.

Tsuki ga yureru kagami ni  
Furueta kokoro  
Hoshi ga nagare koboreta  
Yawarakai namida

She did see something, something that wasn't good news. Crying? Tears? Didn't I see her cry in my second dream? Was there some connection to that? Was Lenne getting the same dreams I had?

Suteki da ne  
Futari te wo tori aruketanara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka

_Every moment spent with Lenne was wonderful. We didn't have to be holding hands or anything. Just her mere presence was enough to make me feel at ease. I'd taken her to my world, held her in my arms. I love you with all my heart and soul Lenne, my beautiful songstress._

Sono mune  
Karada azuke  
Yoi ni magire  
Yume miru

My chest? I blushed at the thought. She must have been talking about that one night, the one I considered the best in my life. _We slept so peacefully and happily on her sofa, not a care in the world. I had my arms around her, subconsciously protecting her from any harm._

Kaze wa tomari kotoba wa  
Yasashii maboroshi  
Kumo wa yabure ashita wa  
Tooku no koe

Was she talking about the words I'd said to her from before? Those words that I felt were protection from unnecessary troubles, she deemed secrets that shattered her view of the future. For that, my Lenne, I'm so very sorry. I never meant any harm. I just wanted to protect you.

Tsuki ga nijimu kagami wo  
Nagareta kokoro  
Hoshi ga yurete koboreta  
Kakusenai namida

In my attempt to keep Lenne from pain, I only made things worse. She felt I was distancing myself from her, fighting battles before she can lend me aid. Don't cry my love. I would promise never to lie to her again, but in order to protect her, some things are better left unsaid. Hopefully, she can understand that one day.

Suteki da ne  
Futari te wo tori aruketanara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka

Sono kao  
Sotto furete  
Asa ni tokeru

Yume miru

She finished her song and again the fans cheered. It was most likely they didn't understand the second half of the song; all the pain she felt. The fact was, I didn't want her to have to deal with so many uncertain problems that might occur. It was my wanting to keep her out of harm's way if I could help it. The war was tearing us apart.

The concert ended and everyone left except the two of us. For a while, neither of us spoke, her still looming over the stage, staring out at the emptied auditorium, and me still hiding myself behind the backstage curtain. "I know you've been hiding things from me. I want to let you know that it's okay. I've accepted that you want me to be safe. When you're ready, I know you'll tell me." She said at last, unwavering in her position on the stage. "I'm sorry... I only wanted to keep you from worrying too much. I didn't know it was hurting you so." I replied, keeping my voice down due to shame. I failed to keep her happy. She saw right through my words. She...

"Tidus! Lenne!" An anguished and breathless voice sounded from behind. "Areth! What's wrong?" I asked him, picking him up by the shoulders to keep him from tipping over. "We were scouting... They... they had us surrounded. There wasn't anything we could do. That's when... when... Kai... Oh no... Why did he have to do it! Why!" He screamed, tears streaming down his face. "No... not him too..." I said, finding myself lost in conflicting thoughts once again. My mind blanked as I continued to stare at the broken man, watching as an endless amount of tears slid down his cheeks, flushing them red. "It'll be okay, Areth. It'll be okay..." I heard Lenne say to the grief-stricken man, holding back her own sadness, her own tears. This war would be the death of us all...


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Unexpected Changes

They were both gone… Damu and Kai… We'd lost them. They were never coming back. "This can't be happening…" I stammered lowly, still staring at the distraught man in my arms. I couldn't believe what was happening. Everyone I loved was in jeopardy and I'd already lost two.

The next day, everything was rather silent. Areth wasn't talking to anyone except Trista. Obviously, the death of his best friend was killing him just as much as Damu's death was to Ju. They'd both lost their childhood companions. Would the same thing happen to me? I don't know how I'd react to Rothel's death. I couldn't even imagine it. If Bevelle ever took Rothel from me, they'd regret it. I promised myself right there that if Bevelle or anyone else tried to take my friends from me again, I'd make them suffer for each killed. Counting Damu and Kai, that already wasn't adding well for them. Of course, I'd still have to wait a bit before I could go back into the fray. With my wound still healing, I was rather helpless.

"How are you holding up, Shuyin?" Kirin asked, when I bumped into her somewhere in east Zanarkand. "I'm fine, Kirin. Actually, I should be asking you that. And how's Ju doing, too." I responded, looking to her with concern. "I'm okay… Ju's not doing so well though. All he does now is look at all the things he and Damu did as kids all the way to… you know…" Kirin said solemnly, a stray tear sliding down the side of her face. It was probably one of the only tears Kirin's ever shed. It was the hardest thing in the world to make her cry and Bevelle had accomplished it. They'd pay dearly for all the harm they've caused my friends.

The two of us walked on for a bit in silence, a rarity when it came to Kirin. It was killing me that her innocent and lively spirit was tainted to such a degree. "Hey, blitz season starts soon." I said loudly, desperately trying to lighten the mood. "Huh?" Kirin replied, "Oh… that's right. I'd forgotten." I wasn't about to give up. I wasn't about to let Kirin lose the thing I love about her the most. "Yea, I heard that the Al Bhed are really Psyched about it." I said with emphasis, hoping she'd hear the bad pun and at least crack a smile. To my fortune, I saw the slightest of grins take shape on her beautiful face. "Yea, they have that Naru and Tappa now, right? I heard they're pretty tough. What do you make of them?" She said, the sadness in her heart seemingly dying. "Well, Naru might not be so bad. I'm worried about Tappa. They say he's a great forward." I analyzed, thinking about what I'd heard. "You don't think Naru is gonna be tough? Why? Is it because she's a girl?" She questioned with a shove. My plan was working. Quickly, I took up a cross-armed, smug look and said, "Whatever do you mean? It's quite obvious that guys are way better blitzers than any girl could be." "Hmph! When Naru beats your butt, don't come crying to me!" Kirin replied in a huff. All I could do was hide my stupid looking grin. It wouldn't come off my face because I felt far too excited at my success to even keep up the act. A few moments later, a hand touched my shoulder and Kirin's voice said smoothly, "Thanks for that, Shuyin. I really needed it." "No problem."

We continued walking, eventually ending up… at that place. "Oh, we must have made a wrong turn somewhere!" Kirin quickly yelped, realizing where we were. "I'm sorry…" It was my mother's old house, completely abandoned after her death because I wouldn't allow anyone to go near it, let alone move in. As I said, my mother's death was a rather painful one for me and emotional management is a skill I know very little of. "It's… okay… I guess it was due time I finally came back here." I started to say, tears starting to well up in my eyes from scars never truly healed. Kirin was my only reason for not crumbling into dust. The way she saved me from despair was distancing myself from my pain and allowing time to do the rest. Now, for better or worse, it at least got me through the following months until my heart finally let go of her death and moved on. That was why she had apologized, though. "Anyway, I owe you a lot of gratitude for what you did for me back then. It meant all of Spira to me that you talked to me, comforted me, and helped me to let go of this bit of sorrow. Besides, it's been nearly a decade. I think I should confront my past and completely seal off that wound." I uttered, trying to sound as apathetic as possible, but I knew I was failing miserably. The tears were sliding down my cheeks without end and I felt my entire body start to tremble. So much for my heart moving on. All it really did was cling to Kirin for dear life. "Shuyin… We should just get out of here. C'mon, let's go." She told me, grabbing my arm gently and trying to tug me away from the site. "No… I won't run away from my pain. I won't put all of it on you, not anymore. You've done far too much for me already." I replied, closing my eyes to let it all sink in. My mother died out of grief. Jecht, my father, had gone training for blitz one day at the beach and drowned due to a tidal wave. It broke my mother's heart to hear the news that he was gone and hoping against hope, she prayed that having not found a body, it meant he was still alive, somewhere. However, sooner or later, she realized that he wasn't ever coming back. After she died, many people, friends or family to both, tried to console me, telling me, "When a lovebird dies, the one left behind just gives up living so it can join its mate." I used to hate it when people tried to tell me things like that. I hated it so much because… because deep in my heart I knew it was true. Mom loved that… Jecht… so much that once he left her, she just lost her energy. "She left me to be with my old man and that's all there is to it. I can't change it now…" I mumbled, my voice shaking tremendously. Kirin quickly turned me to face her and grabbed onto my shoulders roughly, "She didn't leave you! Don't you ever think that! She loved you as much as she loved your father, but when your heart breaks… it's just… hard…" I couldn't handle it anymore. The tears stung my eyes and all I could do was shake my head and hold in my grief as best I could. "Let it out, Shuyin. You've held back those tears for nearly ten years. It's about time you let your feelings show. You're only human, after all." She told me, hugging me gently and patting me on the back. I didn't know whether to feel extremely grateful that she was still protecting me like this or extremely embarrassed at myself for being a nineteen year old crying over something that happened so long ago.

"Are you okay?" Kirin asked me as we left about an hour later. "I'm fine now. I think I've finally let go, for real this time." I responded, smiling as much as I could. My eyes still burned somewhat, having released so much pain all at once. "Okay… What about your other wound?" She said, accepting my words and changing the subject to talk about my still injured gut. "Heh, don't worry about that. It'll take a lot more than a stab wound to keep me down. I'll be back in full before the blitz season starts." I reassured my friend, patting the area lightly, but confidently. She shook her head and giggled a little, "Same old Shuyin."

Another hour passed and Kirin decided it was about time she headed to her actual destination. "So you're going to go see Ju? Give him my best. I really hope we can finish this damn war already and stop all this stupid killing. I'll see you later, Kirin." I told her, sending her off on her way. She smiled back before turning and leaving. I watched for a little while, seeing her form slowly disappear around a corner. I still needed to figure out what to do. After all, Bevelle wasn't going to stop murdering my people. I needed to find a way to end the war quickly so no more people would die, families suffer, friends put through such agony. There must have been some angle I wasn't looking at. We had machina and so did they. However, we also had summoners and they lacked that. Then again, their machina could easily cream both our machina and summoners. Lenne already had a few close encounters. It wasn't like her Overdrive worked on those mechanical monsters. As strong as her Aeons were, they can't take down cold, unflinching steel forever. In fact, Lenne, Larea, and Yunalesca herself seemed to be three of the very few capable summoners. For the most part, the summoners weren't all that gifted. Many of them still hadn't even gotten their Key Aeon, like Lenne did with Elumina. Actually, come to think of it, aside from Elumina, the only Key Aeons I'd seen were Larea's Magus Sisters, Trista's Yojimbo, and Yunalesca's Foricon. I'd been capable of blocking Foricon's axe even after Trista's Bahamut put those three huge gashes across my chest. I was also able to take down Trista's Yojimbo, though, the stupid thing didn't even attack me until she paid it, which made it pretty useless. If this was the best we could offer against Bevelle, we'd be finished in less than five minutes.

"Tidus?" A voice called from behind. It was Areth's voice, completely devoid of his former suavity. "Oh… how've you been getting by?" I asked. "He hasn't. He's been crushed. I… I don't even know what more to do." Trista said, coming up from behind him. The man was utterly pitiful to look at. His hair was a mess, his shoulders dangling, and not a single bit of life could be found in his eyes. "I know it hurts. Believe me, I know how painful it can be to lose someone that close to you. You just need to let it out. Cry if you have to. You can't bury your feelings inside of you and let it eat you alive. I made that mistake ten years ago with my mother." I told him, trying to get him to lift his head and look me in the eyes. He simply couldn't be helped. Kai was his closest friend and his own hometown had been the cause of Kai's death. I guess, unlike me, when depressed, Areth just sinks. Perhaps that was a better reaction. My anger and hatred was the reason it took me ten years to finally have the maturity to let go. "You know Areth, Tidus is right. You can't let Kai's death eat you alive like this. You have to just let it go. Look to the future. We'll squash Bevelle into the ground!" She said, holding gently to Areth's sagging shoulders. "I… It's just… Kai… He was… He was the only family I had left. My parents died a while back because of some fiends and… Kai was the only person… He was the guy that supported you to the end when you were down… Now he's gone… I just… I don't even know…" He mumbled, lost in his own train of thought. "You've still got me. I'm not going anywhere." Trista said lovingly, putting her forehead to his. "Listen to her, Areth. Kai's gone… There's nothing any of us can do to change that… The thing is… you haven't lost everything yet so instead of sulking about things that are out of your control, remember that you can still do something to safeguard the people that haven't died yet." I followed up, patting his arm with my hand, "So mourn now, but come back with a fury later, 'kay?" I smiled at him sincerely, hoping he'd do the same. Thankfully… well, sorta… he did crack a smile, the smile that creeped me out all the time. "Well, we've got to go pay a visit to someone, I think." Trista spoke up. "Yes… I think I should just get it over with, let my mind be at peace." Areth returned, nodding to her. "Going to see Kai?" I asked humbly. They nodded and I moved aside to let them pass. This was a good idea that Trista had. If Areth could just see Kai again, even if it was his spirit, it would still be good for him. Actually, that was another thing I hadn't done in ten years.

I continued to think: What could Zanarkand do to beat Bevelle? What could I do to keep Lenne safe? What could I do to end the death toll of friends with Kai? What… "Yo T!" Yet another voice said, breaking my concentration. "Rothel! Hi! Oh, and hey there Larea." I said happily, seeing my best friend and his girl. "Hey bro. This season o' blitz is gonna rock! I can't wait 'til we get in that ol' Sphere Pool and kick some ass!" He replied, loud as ever. I couldn't help but smile at him, "Hey, who are we facing first in the pre-season anyway? I heard it was either the Guado or the Al Bhed." "Heheheh, that's the best part! Haru talked to me a little bit ago and guess what? We gonna be takin' on the Psyches! We'll knock 'em out first and the trophy's as good as ours." He said enthusiastically. "Haru? Where'd he hear this from? That rookie's sure starting to get the hang of things." I returned. "No man. He didn't hear it from nobody. He got us with the Psyches himself. Told me, everything's gonna go accordin' to plan." Rothel corrected. So Haru scheduled the game with us versus the Al Bhed Psyches himself? That was quite a bit of good thinking on his part. If we could take out the Psyches in the pre-season, they'd be far less ready to partake in the actual season. Not only that, but facing them in the pre-season meant we'd get to know their strategies and, not only that but, I'd get the hang of how Naru and Tappa work. "Kudos to the rookie then, eh?" I said, making a thumbs up with my hand. "You got that right. Anyways, how's the gut? You gonna be in the startin' line-up wit us or are you gonna let me get all the glory to myself? I could get used to that, ya know." He asked with a slight snicker, patting me on my wound. "Don't you even think about it, Rothel. I'm planning on stealing all of your glory." I joked back, grasping quickly at the air like I was trying to snatch Rothel's glory as a solid object. Following suit, he raised his fist and shook it at me, while pretending to look angry. "Anyway, what are you guys doing out here today?" I asked. Rothel snickered yet again, "I'm tyin' the knot." I thought he was kidding. "What kind of a knot? Can I see?" I joked, not taking him seriously. "No, he means we're… engaged." Larea replied shyly, thinking all of our mockery was for real. "Wait… you mean you really are… and… wait what?" I said, baffled as I was. "Yup, Rothie's tyin' the knot. Betcha never saw that one comin', right?" He responded. I still couldn't believe it until, impetuous as he was, he shoved his and Larea's engagement rings in my face… literally. "Ah, get away!" I shouted, pushing back both their hands, "What brought on this decision?" "Bro, this war ain't goin' nowhere. I figure, if I'm gonna die, might as well be hitched to this hunny and go in style." He told me. "We both decided that if Zanarkand loses this war, at least we will both be bonded in marriage and know exactly how we feel for each other." Larea added, probably thinking I'd need a translation for Rothel's street talk. "Wow… I never thought I'd see the day you were more of a romantic than I was." I told him, smiling my approval. "What about you and Lenne, ya know? Ain't you thinkin' 'bout the future, too? What you doin' out here anyway?" He asked. I wasn't out here to think about marrying Lenne, that was for sure. The thought hadn't even occurred to me. What would I do if Zanarkand did end up losing anyway? I guess if had to die, I might as well do so with the woman I loved. Maybe I should do like Rothel and marry Lenne. I knew I loved her. What was stopping me from going for it? I grabbed my necklace unknowingly and started to stare into space. "Hey T, ya alright?" Rothel asked, waving a hand in front of my eyes.

I left Rothel and Larea after a while and wandered around on my own again. Really, what was stopping me from marrying Lenne? Walking around for thirty minutes aimlessly ended up with me standing in front of a jewelry store, staring into space. I had bumped into Haru along to way and cheered him for scheduling the game and also asked for his thoughts on whether or not I should marry. He told me that I should just go for it and get a ring so here I was. "Sir, can I help you with something? The check out girl said, actually coming out of the shop just to get me to stop loitering. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just… thinking…" I told her honestly, having still no resolve in me to just buy a ring. "Well, what do you want to look at?" She asked, still fidgeting around with something in her pockets. "I wanted to look at some rings… Not that I'd know which to get… I'm a little lost here." I said, laughing at my own idiocy. I never bought a bit of jewelry in my entire life. Even my earring was done at home by Kirin. She thought it'd look cute so I just let her. Then, the only other piece of jewelry I had was my necklace and that I got from Lenne. "Well, we've got quite a selection and I can always help you find one." She said to me, finally looking up to look at me fully, "Oh my! Tidus! You… you… you're Tidus, star blitzer of the Abes! WOW!" She started breathing really haphazardly and waving her hand to fan herself. "Yea, I know. But… could we just keep it down a bit?" I said, trying to calm her down by putting my hands on her shoulders, but that only riled her up even more. "Wow, Tidus has his hands on my shoulders. I'm actually being calmed down by Tidus! This is so great!" She squealed, causing me more aggravation with each passing second. Finally, after a few more minutes of squealing, jumping up and down, and begging me for an autograph, she calmed down enough to help me look for a ring. "So, who's the lucky lady?" She asked, most likely having day dreams that I'd reply with a, "Why you of course." If I'd said Lenne, no doubt the girl would explode on me again, "A summoner. She's not someone you'd recognize. Anyway, her name is…" I started looking around for something to help me make up something, "…Violet." When I said that, I was staring at some flowers that the girl had in a vase behind the counter. "Oh, how lucky for her." The girl said with many hints of disappointment in her voice.

We looked at rings for around a couple of hours, me being the dope that didn't know an engagement ring from a toe ring. "I really have no idea what she'd like. This is so not my forte. Why does this have to be so complicated?" I said, starting to get a little frustrated since anything the girl showed me I'd always think wasn't good enough for Lenne. "You know, it's only hard because you love her. It shows how much she really means to you that you'd spend this long finding the perfect one." The girl informed me, swooning over the fact that I could be so much like her image of the perfect romantic. I kept looking and eventually, she pointed out this cute looking flower-shaped one with a heart-shaped center. The petals were all diamonds and the heart was a rare pink diamond. It seemed to look like something Lenne would like so I got it. I also told the girl that I'd like to engrave: For love that lasts an eternity, I will always be by your side. –Shuyin. Of course, when I told her I wanted that message engraved, she had to say, "Aw! How romantic!"

I waited about an hour for the engraving to be done. It was a good thing that it took that long. I had to practice my line… over and over again, in front of a mirror like I was proposing to myself. "Will you marry me, Lenne? No, that sucks. I want you to be my wife, Lenne. Yes, and after that, I shall run your life! Bwahahah… I really suck at this." I said to that mirror, ending up doing really dumb skits in front of it because I got incredibly bored and frustrated with being frustrated. "I am so bad at these things." I grumbled at the mirror, finally giving up on my approach and settling on just shoving the ring in her face and hoping she knows what words to put in my mouth. "Aw, you aren't so bad. I think that last skit you did was pretty good. I love you with all my heart. Please marry me?" She said, mimicking my last approach. "You heard all that!" I whined, thinking about two problems with that. First of all, I said Lenne a few times when I told her that I was marrying a flower. Then, there was just the sheer embarrassment of someone overhearing your goofy ways on asking someone to marry you. "Oh don't worry. I didn't even catch the first, like, five or so. Anyway, I really think you should go with that last one. Oh, but don't do the girl part of the skit. By the way, who's Shuyin?" She told me. "Uh… Shuyin's just some name I came up with." I lied, blushing over the fact that she had heard the entire skit, even the part where I impersonated Lenne accepting. "Oh? You make up names, do you?" She joked, "Well, Shuyin, here's your ring." She winked at me before skipping back to the backroom to clean up. "Thanks! Wish me luck!" I replied, leaving with ring box in hand.

I stared at the box with the incredibly valuable item within while thinking about that line. I love you with all my heart. It did sound mushy. I only walked for about a minute when suddenly, an explosion thrust me forward to the ground. As I shook the stars from my head, I realized that the explosion had come from behind me meaning… "The Jewelry Store!" As I quickly turned to look, the entire building was up in flames. I thought of only one thing at that point: The girl that I was just talking to back in that inferno. "Are you okay? Please answer me!" I screamed desperately, making my way towards the wreck. After peering into larger crevices, I saw the body, charred beyond recognition just like Damusa had been. That ticked me off. I burst back outside and wouldn't you know it, the Bevelle machina and soldiers were right there waiting for me to hack to pieces. "You really didn't want to do this." I growled, unsheathing my sword and slicing the first of them as I did so. I wasn't going to let any of them get away with this. They'd all cause their families pain tonight, I'd guarantee it. I dodged the machina's array of weaponry and followed through each time by slicing through yet another soldier. I also made sure to cut them in the most painful places, the stomach, the kidney areas, throat, etc. Finally, all of their blood was on my sword. "Your turn you ugly piece of Bevelle trash!" I roared, charging up my Force Rain overdrive. The energy engulfed the metal monstrosity and disintegrated it, leaving behind scorch marks from where my beam had hit.

I decided I should get back to Lenne as fast as I could just to make sure she was safe. When I got to her house, I realized something… "The RING!" I shouted aloud, searching frantically for it, but unable to find it. I must have dropped it when the store was destroyed. Before I could even gather my thoughts, the door opened and Lenne walked out slowly. "Oh Shuyin! I wasn't expecting you." She said, sounding somewhat distracted. I would have said something about the ring, but then I noticed that Lenne was holding a sphere in her hand. "What's that?" I asked, nudging my chin over to her left hand. That question seemed to have gotten her flustered quite a bit. "What's wrong? What's on it?" I asked again. She still wouldn't say anything to me, extending her hand out ever so slightly as a sign that I should just watch it myself. I took the sphere from her and played it, not knowing why she was so upset over it. "Summoners are all to report to the military encampment located on the Calm Lands side of Mt. Gagazet in exactly one month from today. Repeat: All summoners must report to Mt. Gagazet in one month from today." The voice of Yu Yevon commanded. I couldn't believe it. Did that man truly think that sending all the summoners to do battle with Bevelle was the solution? C-South and the newly created Duggles stadium had already been destroyed by their forces and he thought sending Lenne in would stop that from happening again? "Lenne…" I said lowly, my mind at a loss about what I had just heard. With tears finally freeing themselves from my love's eyes, she said, in the most heartbreaking tone, "I won't ever leave you, even if I don't make it back…"


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Save Your Tears

"You're not going…" I mumbled, loudly enough for her to hear, but low enough so she'd realize how much her words had stung. "Shuyin! I have to go. I don't have any other choice." She quickly argued. "It doesn't matter! You're not going!" I said forcefully, grasping the sphere in my hand harder. "I thought you said to trust in Yu Yevon. What happened to that?" She said harshly. Those words struck me to the core. It was the lie I'd been telling her to believe so that she wouldn't have to worry. It was her strongest defense yet. "Forget what I said! Yu Yevon can't help us now… You know what happened?" I said with anger, pulling out my sword, still stained with the blood of those I'd murdered from before, "This happened! Bevelle attacked us again, hurt us again, stole our people's lives AGAIN! I WILL NOT LET THEM STEAL YOU FROM ME, TOO!" I stabbed my blade into the ground and trembled from my utter hatred and anger at Bevelle. Lenne gasped, no doubt seeing how horrifically stained my blue sword was. It no longer had a glow to it. There was far too much blood blocking the light from showing. Without giving it a second thought, I pushed Lenne back into her house and shut the door behind me. "You're not leaving. That's it. I won't let you…" I stated lowly, incapable of looking her in the eye. I feared what she'd see in those eyes. I'd seen only evil and darkness in that set of blue eyes in my dream. What if that's what she'd see in me? "You don't get to decide that…" She slowly whispered, loud enough for me to hear. "So you'd rather let Yu Yevon determine whether you live or die!" I shouted, losing all the patience left in me. "I DIDN'T SAY THAT!" She quickly defended, raising her voice. "Then what are you saying? You'd like to go out there and be killed by Bevelle? I won't allow it! I won't allow you to throw your life away like that!" I screamed, squeezing the sphere harder and making a fist with my other hand. "What do you want me to do? Bevelle will attack us whether or not I go with the other summoners. Would you rather see our home destroyed!" She yelled back. "No! I'll find a way! I'll find a way to take down Bevelle and keep Zanarkand safe. I won't lose anymore of my friends!" I shouted back, realizing the absurdity of the promise a little too late. "You can't have everything! Don't act like a child! If you want Zanarkand to be safe, you'll have to let me go. You can't have both at the same time!" She returned, telling me nothing I didn't already know. Of course there would be a sacrifice. There wasn't any way Zanarkand could defeat Bevelle without at least someone dying in the process. However, I was far too stubborn to admit my fault, "Child? Fine, I'll be a child. If it means I won't see you or Zanarkand die, then so be it. I'll be the greedy one! Someone has to realize the stupidity of sacrificing yourself for no purpose!" "No purpose! I'm going to save Zanarkand! That's a worthy purpose!" Lenne screamed at me, turning her back on me. "Save Zanarkand? And for how long is that going to last? We've tried fighting Bevelle head on! Damusa lost his LIFE because we fought head on! Do you think I want the next body I find to be yours! We can't keep this war going the way it has been. Nothing'll ever change that way! All we'll be doing is losing more and more lives and FOR WHAT!" I shouted angrily, throwing the sphere at a wall in my frustration. Lenne gasped at the sound of the shattering sphere, turning back to me and looking at me with the same fear in her eyes that she had when I was choking Trista back then. I breathed heavily, my vision clouded by a veil of crimson. This couldn't go on. I wouldn't let any more families suffer just so we could have a few moments of peace. Bevelle had to be stopped. There was nothing else to be done about it. Bevelle was the plague upon my home and I'd have to destroy it. "Shuyin, I know you don't want anybody else to die like we saw Damusa die. I know you don't want anybody else to feel pain like Areth does, but there's nothing you can do about it. Bevelle is overwhelming us and Yu Yevon is just trying to make sure that we hold them off for as long as we can." She said softly, trying to calm me down. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew Lenne's life was in jeopardy, it might have worked. I lost my mother when I was about nine years old. It killed me when I saw her breathe her last breath. I wasn't about to let the same thing happen to Lenne, so long as I could avoid it. "I… I've gotta go…" I said quietly, anger replaced with despair. I knew it was too late. In a month, Lenne would die, her body ripped to pieces by metallic monstrosities created by an evil city. "Shuyin…" She said sadly, pleading for me to stay. "Don't worry… I'll come back. If I'm gone a little too long, I'll write to you…" I said, desperately hiding my anguish, "I've gotta go…" I blindly went at the door, pulling it open roughly and shutting it as I ran outside, and making sure to retrieve my sword. "Shuyin!" I heard Lenne screaming behind me. I didn't bother to see if she was following me. I couldn't stay. I was incredibly confused and angry and frustrated and… and… just overwhelmed.

"Whoa! Bro, what's with the marathon, ya know?" I heard Rothel's voice say as I ran past him, my bloodied sword still in my hand. "Not now! Don't bother me now!" I yelled, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind. I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know what I could do anyway. There was only one place, one person that might have been able to help me. I quickly sped toward my house and hoped against hope that she'd be there for me.

Reaching my house, I threw myself at my hoverglyph and activated it, tossing my blade on the passenger side. Recklessly, I pulled away from my house and sped towards Guadosalam. Actually, I wasn't going to Guadosalam, but rather the cavern next to it: The Farplane. It took me about two hours to get there, but that really didn't matter to me. I had one month. If these two hours had to be sacrificed for me to figure out what to do, it would be worth it. I parked my hover somewhere near the cave and got out. I glanced at the city over the Southern portion of the Moonflow before rushing into the cave and to my destination.

Once I was at the portal to the Farplane, I stopped. It'd been ten years since she died. I hadn't had the guts to visit her. I had been a coward. If it wasn't for this new epidemic with Lenne's life on the line, I probably still wouldn't have thought to come here. Shaking my head, I decided the situation couldn't be helped and hopefully she'd forgive me for not coming here more often. "Mom? Please come. I really need your help… Life's starting to become a little unbearable. I need to ask you for some advice." I called. A few minutes passed, but nothing happened. I was on the stone platform that led back to the cave, overlooking the entire Farplane Glen. "Mom? Please… I really need you… I'm so confused. I think I understand what you had with dad… I think I'm in love and that love is about to be crushed. Please… I'm sorry I haven't come here more often… I was too afraid." I said, lowering my head to stare at the ground.

Suddenly, I felt a presence from behind me, just slightly towards my right. Something was being thrown at me. Instinctively, I turned and caught it, a blitz ball. "What?" I said, startled at the object. Then, I realized who had thrown it, "Jecht…" I slammed the blitz ball aside and glared at my father dead in the eye. "Almost a decade and you're still the same. You've still got a vendetta with me." He said with a laugh. The jerk. All my life, if he was around, if his name was mentioned, I was forgotten. When I was a little kid and he was around, mom would only care about him, only care about what he was yammering about. As I grew up, it was always the same: "Look at how good Tidus is! Of course! He's got Jecht's blood coursing through his veins. How can he not be good? But, he'll never be as great as Jecht was." It infuriated me that he was doing this to me again. "You're always in my way! Why can't you just leave me alone! Are you that egotistical? You have to stop me from seeing mom even in death!" I screamed at him. All he did was laugh at me, "Shuyin, what am I gonna do with you? Haven't you figured out that I've never tried to keep you from your mother? And I can't help it if fans still consider me great. Heck, I think you'd feel great that people are comparing you to me. I'm the supreme blitzer. No one can beat me." Those words really ticked me off. "You never kept me from mom? Then, why is it every time you're around, I'm left high and dry? Why is it that she hovers over you? Why is it that when you died that day, she followed you! Why is it that she left me! WHY!" I screamed, a decade's worth of hatred exploding from my heart. "Why? I'll tell you why. Isn't it the reason you came? You're in love now, aren't you? So tell me, what do you think would happen if Lenne died? Would you live on happily? No, I doubt you could. Your mother and I loved each other deeply. The day that tidal wave came and claimed me, all I could think about was, what would your mother do if I was dead. I struggled with all my might to survive, but the wave was far too powerful. I was swept far from the shore and my strength waned. My last prayer was that your mother wouldn't let her sorrow overtake her and cause her to abandon you. Unfortunately, that prayer wasn't heard." He explained, recalling the past and feeling the pain of regret and failure once more. I had no idea my father would act like this. He'd never said something like that before. For as long as I knew him, the only things that came out of that mouth were boasts and a vile liquor smell from drinking so much sake. "Your mother didn't leave you, Shuyin. Her heart couldn't handle my death and so her life ended. She would never leave you, just like I wouldn't ever leave you. We love you, kiddo. And… I'm very proud of the man you've become." He continued, his words sending warmth to my heart. "Dad…" I muttered, unbelievably happy to finally call him by that title, "I find I'm proud to be your son… for the first time in my life." He walked over to me slowly, a sincere smile on his face as he pulled me into a hug, "You know, you've really grown since the last time I saw you." "Yea, that's cuz the last time you saw me, I was nine. Dad, I really misunderstood you" I laughed, pushing away from him to look him in the eyes. "Well, now that you're all grown up and all, what say you and I have a little match?" He said, smirking and waiting to see what I'd say.

"You wanna try me at a game of blitz?" I said confidently, "Bring it old man!" "Old man, eh? I'll show you what this old man can do." He returned, our blitz personalities taking over. I still wanted to talk to mom, but I guess I'd let my father continue with his "calm Shuyin down before he hurts himself" plan. Besides, I'd spent a lifetime hating him. It was about time I spent some quality time with him. Also… I really wanted to make him eat his supreme blitzer comment. As if the Farplane wanted to watch our show, a Sphere Pool formed around us and a blitz ball was created. The game started and both dad and myself went after the ball as it spun upward. I managed to snatch it from him and started racing to the goal. Quickly, he swam in front of me, blocking my way. I tried to maneuver around him, but to no avail. My father was far too swift for me to dodge. Thinking fast, I swam right into him, allowing him to grab onto me. He had my speed, but not my flexibility. While in his grasp, I scrunched in my shoulders and slipped underneath him, going between his legs. Quickly, I placed the ball to my side, spun, and kicked it with my leg as I came around, sending it straight for the goal. Unfortunately, Jecht was far too much a veteran and easily deflected the shot with a kick of his own, sending it speeding the other way. I swam after it, but as I reached for it, he kicked me aside, using my body as a push-off towards the ball. He grabbed it and headed for the goal, but I was on him in a flash. He tried to outmaneuver me this time, but I was also too good to be dodged. Tricking him, I swam a little above him, making him think there was an opening. The moment he let the ball go for a kick, I plunged myself down and stomped it away. Making a backflip, I grabbed the ball again and headed for my goal. Once again, daddy was on me, but I knew what I had to do. Quickly, I swam up, stopping just as he was underneath me. As he came up, I did like he had done and kicked off of him, pushing myself from his shoulders and sending the ball along with me, above the Sphere Pool. Turning around so my back was at the goal, I started a backflip, smacking the ball hard with my foot as we headed back towards the water. The Jecht Shot was performed perfectly and I knew I would win, seeing as only I, myself, had ever managed to block it. I landed back in the pool and turned with a smile, knowing dad had lost, but surprise surprise… He wouldn't let up. Instead, he swam at the speeding blitz ball and positioned himself. I swam up closer to see what he planned to do. That was a huge mistake. First, my father kicked the ball with his bad leg and slowed it down. Then, he kicked it again with his good leg and it came speeding at me, hitting me square in the ribs. The ball ricocheted off of me and went back to him, allowing him to kick it up and then headbutt it back at me again. The same thing happened and he punched the ball at me, letting it bounce off me once more at an upward angle. Spinning, he corkscrewed after the blitz ball, stopping when it got near him foot and sending it flying towards his goal. I rushed as fast as I could, knowing exactly how good that shot was. Swimming past it, I placed myself right at the goal, leaving me enough distance to get up a defense. Putting myself into Kirin's overdrive position, I waited for the shot to reach and spring-boarded off my arms to hit the ball with my feet. I sent it flying upward and out of the Sphere Pool, this time keeping myself in the water. As the ball began to plummet, I swam at it, reaching the surface of the Sphere Pool as it got within a foot of my position. I leapt into the air, performing a forward flip and slapping the blitz ball with my heel, also hitting the surface of the Sphere Pool when I did. The splash was tremendous and the blitz ball's speed unimaginable. As I reentered, I watched the ball torpedo its way straight into the goal, winning the game.

The Sphere Pool disappeared soon after, the both of us breathing heavily over the awesome match. "That was one heckuva move! What'd ya call that thing anyway?" Dad asked, still keeled over, panting roughly. "I haven't got a name for that one. Maybe you should come up with a name for it. You seem to love coming up with long-winded names for your moves." I huffed, trying as best I could to laugh while still gasping for breath. He laughed a little, lifting himself upright and putting a hand on his chin. "You know, I was just kidding. I'll just call it the Tidal Shot or something." I told him, seeing how he was in his "time to think up a lame name for a move" mode. "No no no, that's far too simplistic. You should call it the, Psychedelic Tidal Surge Mark III." I shook my head, "Dad, what is with you and Mark?" He laughed, "Haven't I taught you anything? You need to name things so that people think you've got better in store and they're just waiting for a day when you'll reveal it to them. It'll sell out any game." "Dad, I have sold out every game. People come just to see your Jecht Shot in action." I told him, "After all, even your diehard fans agree, I perform that move better than anyone." "Guess you're right. Besides, Tidal Shot sounds good as any name." He shrugged, patting me on the shoulder. "Know what? I think I'll keep that Surge part. The Tidal Surge, that's what that move will be from now on." I replied, smiling. It seemed to have made dad happy, "Heh, whatever you decide, I'm fine with it. Anyway, you came here to talk to mom, right? She just wanted me to patch things up between us before she talked to you. She'll be along in a little bit. It was great spending time with you, son. I love ya, kiddo." And with that, he dispersed into pyreflies.

I waited for another couple of minutes, using the time to prepare myself. I felt a warm touch on my shoulder and turned, "Mom…" "Shuyin… how I've missed you." She said softly. I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I looked into her beautiful face, memories of my childhood flooding my mind. I tried to suck it in and just ask her what I should do about the war, but I found I couldn't even stop tearing. "Oh Shuyin, you've become such a handsome young man. I wish I could've been there to see you grow." She continued, brushing my hair with her tender hand. "I should've come here sooner. I was so afraid that I'd lose you if I saw you here. Fact was, I'd lost you because I didn't come here. For ten years, I suppressed my memories. For ten years, I couldn't face your death. I'm so sorry for being away for this long." I uttered weakly, embracing my mother tightly. She patted me on the back softly, cooing me with her gentle voice as I struggled with my emotions. "You have nothing to apologize for. I know it was hard for you when I passed away. I regret what happened greatly. It's why I haven't completely passed on into the Farplane." She told me. "What do you mean? You're here, aren't you?" I asked, not understanding what she meant. "Yes, I accepted my death and so did your father, but both of us knew we'd left without knowing if you'd be okay, without knowing if you could go on. That is why we're able to talk to you. For dead that have no purpose left, they cease to exist, the only thing left behind being the memories they've left in others. These pyreflies react to those memories and recover the loved one, but only a memory is left. As for your father and I, we still worried about you and because of it, we weren't capable of letting go and moving on. Your father just now, he had to fix your relationship in order to accept that he no longer needed to remain." Mom explained. "So… if you feel confident in me now, you'll also disappear forever?" I said, not wanting to face that I'd lose her again. "Shuyin, my beautiful boy. I'll never be gone unless you let this go." She said sweetly, pointing to my heart, "As long as you keep me with you, I will never leave your side." I smiled and hugged her close. Although I knew she was trying to make me happy, I knew the truth was that keeping her in my heart would make her what she told me just before, a memory. If she left me, the only thing left would be my memory of her. Perhaps, I should have been satisfied with that. At the time, I could only think of one thing: I had to let her go once again. "Now," mom said, pulling me back to look at me, "you said you had a problem?" "Mom, I'm in love with Lenne. I've found someone. Now I know what you feel for dad." I told her. "That's wonderful sweetheart. Love is the best feeling in the world." She replied, smiling at me with her beautiful face. "I know mom… but… Lenne, because of the war… Yu Yevon's told all the summoners to go to the front. Mom, I don't want to lose her." I said solemnly. "Oh Shuyin… I know what this must be doing to you. Love; if you truly love her, do for her what you think is right. Consult your heart for the right answer. It will never lead you astray." She advised, picking up my chin and looking at me with reassurance in her eyes. "That's the problem. I don't' know what my options are. This war has gotten so out of hand and I'm just confused and frustrated. Damusa's already dead because of it. Just the other day, Areth lost his best friend Kai, as well. Mom, this whole thing is just picking us off one by one." I told her. She started to look flustered, "Shuyin, you can't let your anger and frustration cloud your mind. Think about what your goal is. You want to keep your friends and Lenne safe from harm, right?" I nodded. "Well then, that's the only thing you should be thinking about. What can keep them safe? What is trying to hurt them? If you can clear your thoughts and concentrate on these aspects, your heart will point you in the right direction." I thought for a moment and understood what she was saying. She wanted me to stop the chaos clouding my judgment. If I could focus on protecting Lenne and Kirin and Rothel and the rest of my friends, then and only then will I be able to find the answer. "Thank you, mom. I love you… Now, go and be at peace with dad. I'm sure he misses you already." I told her. "Oh Shuyin… I love you always. Farewell my son." She said, taking a few steps back before dispersing into pyreflies herself. "Goodbye… mom."

I left the Farplane and walked back through the cave to my hoverglyph. On the drive home, I decided I'd stop by Trista's place to check up on Areth. I had my comforting and it was time I gave something back. I got out of the hover and walked over to Trista's door, knocking gently. Nobody came to open the door, but I heard a voice inside and the door was unlocked, so I chose to go in. Inside, I saw Trista's exaggerated taste. Every square inch of the house was covered in the strangest of art pieces. How very extravagant of her. Regardless of the discomfort many of the pieces afforded me, my goal was to comfort Areth so I went in the direction of a muffled voice. As I got closer, the voice became clearer and I started to make out what it was saying, "Yes, all is going according to plans. Don't worry father, I'll feed you more information as I receive it. Oh, you don't have to thank me for the airship. Trust me, I had a personal malice towards the pilot. Oh no, it's just that he was friends with… yes, that blitzer. I know, I know…" I slammed the door open with murder written on my face. How dare he flaunt about Damusa's death. "How could you… They killed your best friend and you still side with them!" I shouted at him, attracting his attention and making him turn off his com, "Oh but Tidus, or should I say… Shuyin, I'm the one that ordered Kai's execution." I felt the rage in me boil to a fever pitch, "You had your own friend… executed? How could you… How could you do that to Kai?" I said, my voice becoming ragged as anger slowly took away my speech. "He was a traitor. We'd come to Zanarkand together. He, however, actually wanted to help you. I, on the other hand, came… to destroy you…" He snickered, looking at me with that same evil smirk I'd handled before in hopes that he was one of us. "Murderer…" I growled, moving towards him. He stuck out his gunblade, but I quickly slashed at his hand, causing him to drop it. "Murderer…" I repeated, advancing more forcefully. He started backing up fearfully, like a snake without his fangs. I would never let him live after this. He'd caused too much pain already. "Murderer…"


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Bitter Betrayal

"Murderer…" I mouthed for the third time, my eyes growing blacker as rage overcame them minute after arduous minute. Areth must have noticed, as well, for he began to cower in my presence. I stared at him with the utmost disgust and hatred I'd ever encountered. Even when they'd killed Damusa, it was blind rage over his death. This time, I knew exactly who to blame, who to make suffer the consequences. "Uh… Shuyin… I'm only… kidding… Uh…" The snake tried saying, hoping against hope that I'd be fooled once more. I sneered at him, "You've deceived me once and it cost me my friend. You tricked me and it cost me a good man. To think… just to think that I'd fall for another of your lies… it infuriates me." I laughed a little to myself, "Here I thought… Why not give Areth a chance? He doesn't seem to be so bad. If Kai trusts him, why shouldn't I?" Without a second's warning, I swiped my blade, putting a small gash across Areth's arm. He winced in pain and cowered even more, knowing that what I had in mind for him, he'd be pleading to join those of the Farplane. "Please Shuyin… I… I was bound by family. My father is the head of Bevelle. How can I not help him? He's my father. I'm sure you would do the same for your family." He said, begging for my forgiveness once again, begging for me to be stupid and fall for his tricks again. I smirked at him, giving him the same discomforting smile he'd always given me, "My father? My father was my most hated rival since I could remember. So, what family ties do you think I'd have with him?" I finished my statement by slashing once more, this time putting a small gash on the traitor's waist. "Enough talk… I'm done listening." I hissed and quickly sliced his face, putting a nice cut into his cheek all the way to his lip. I stared at the betrayer sadistically, raising my blade high. "Shuyin! Please!" The snake pleaded once again. I cackled maniacally, "The Farplane awaits!" And without a moment wasted, I swung my blade downward.

"Is anyone home?" I heard a voice call. Jurama! The slight distraction was enough for Areth. Quickly, he punched my gut, the spot where I'd been stabbed before. I winced in pain and bent, grabbing my wound with my empty hand. When I opened my eyes, I saw the snake run. "Whoa!…" I heard Ju shout, most likely because Areth had pushed past him to escape my grasp. I forced myself to forget the pain and got up, running as fast as I could to the door where Ju was. "Ju! After him! He's responsible! He's a traitor!" I breathed angrily, "… HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMUSA'S DEATH!" I didn't need to say a thing more. Ju, like I already was, grew enraged. The both of us got into my hover and chased after Areth. He'd gotten into his own hover cruiser after knocking Ju down. "I'll tear out his eyes!" Ju shrieked. "Don't… don't give him the opportunity to miss out on all the fun stuff we're gonna do to him." I jeered, my eyes wild with fury as I accelerated past safe speeds.

The chase lasted about an hour, our speeding bringing us all the way to the Thunder Plains. I stopped Areth by using my hover's better engines to catch up and ram him in the rear. I'd said that cruisers weren't very safe. After hitting him from behind, the vehicle flipped, the front portion stabbing into the ground. The vermin was thrown from the hover, landing in a heap a few feet away. "Oh… Areth? Won't you wake up and play? I've been meaning to have some real fun with you." I hissed, moving over to him at an agonizingly slow pace. I wanted him to feel each approaching second of death. I reached him and stood there, an ominous figure striking fear into his soul as thunder struck behind me. Ju approached me soon after. "What should we do with the lout? Should be remove each of his organs? Perhaps stab him with needles just to see how many holes we can put onto his flesh? Whatever to decide." He whispered, kneeling close to Areth's helpless form. "Well, let's just do a little damage first, huh? We'll see where that takes us." I said slyly, hovering my sword over his ankle joint.

Suddenly, as if guardians of the devil, Bevelle's men arose, coming right out from the soil. "So, you led us here you sly little insect. Well, we've got news for you Areth. Your men, they don't stand a chance." I exclaimed, stabbing the soldier that came up from behind me through the gut. Jurama and I started picking off the muddy soldiers one by one, my sword covered with even more blood by the minute and spared only by Ju taking out others with Ultimas. When the last of Bevelle's forces fell, we looked around the field of death, scanning the corpses to realize that Areth wasn't amongst them. "The rat ran away." Ju growled, casting a Fire spell on an already dead soldier just to vent his frustration. "He couldn't have gotten far. I'll never let him live after what I heard. He'll die slowly." I hissed, starting up my run again after noticing the backs of a few more of Bevelle's men.

We caught up since Areth was still weak from his crash. He motioned for the remaining soldiers to surround us so he could escape once again, but I thought quickly, "Ju, you go on ahead. Let me handle these guys. Besides, you deserve this a lot more than I do." "Are you sure you can handle them? I've already lost Damu. I don't want to lose you, for Kirin's sake." He told me. "I'll be fine. These wimps couldn't kill me if I had both my legs chopped off. Now GO!" I ordered, pushing him aside so I could fight the men myself. I saw him run off as I fended off the soldiers from giving chase to halt his movement. "You boys get to deal with me. Leave Ju to Areth. I'm sure he's got a few words to share with your boss." I sneered, stabbing one of them for starters. The others quickly lunged, but I threw the body in front of me, letting them stab their own ally. Without wasting a second, I jumped on one, spinning to cut through another, flipped, and decapitated the first. Waving for them to continue their attack, I got into an attack stance and deflected one blade into another, putting one huge gash across both their chests. A third and fourth plunged their swords at me, but I merely leapt over them and spun as I came down, slicing off both of their heads. The last of them looked at me with fear. "What's wrong? Didn't like how I took out your friends? Why don't you see if you can make a better attempt." I said, waving for him to approach. Instead, the coward fled, running as fast as he could to get away. Searching the blood-ridden grounds, I snatched a gunblade from a fallen foe and hurled it at the mouse, piercing his skull with the weapon. There were no more enemies around so I hurried my pace to catch up to Jurama, "Can't let Ju have all the fun."

I ran for a while until I came to a clear patch of the Thunder Plains. "Ju? Where are you?" I shouted, hoping to get a hint to where he'd chased Areth to. Not hearing anything, I continued to search, finally stopping when I saw the worst thing imaginable. "JU!" I screamed, running over to his fallen body, lying facedown in the mud, "JU! WAKE UP!" "You know… those that have departed for the Farplane tend to have problems hearing you." A sickening voice stated. "You… Now you've taken him away, too." I growled lowly. "Yes, but be happy for one thing. He did manage to give me this." Areth said lightheartedly, pointing to a blinded left eye, "He was really quite admirable. To avenge his friend, he went so far as to cut my face with one of my own daggers. Look, he still holds it in his hand." I felt my eyes twitch, the fury in my heart rising far higher than anyone could take. I roared loudly to release my anger, rushing to the snake at my quickest speed, ready to take his head off. "I don't' think so." I heard from the side, a voice known for its unpleasant squeal. As I looked, Trista smiled back, sending a Flare spell at me. I was hit head-on, the power of the spell hurling my body into the ground harshly. I gasped for breath as the air in my lungs was completely knocked out. Trista and Areth both walked over to me and Areth lifted his gunblade over my throat. "Bastard…" I gasped, feeling my consciousness waning. "No… I think I'll let you live. At least this way, you'll have to explain what happened to your friend. As I recall, he was Kirin's boyfriend. I think that should be especially painful for you." Areth snickered, spitting on my face before removing his blade from my throat. "How could you side with Areth… against Zanarkand? As much as you hate me, do you really want to sacrifice our home just to get at me?" I whispered to Trista, begging for an answer for her betrayal. "Get at you? Oh, you simple and egotistical fool." She replied, "I didn't betray Zanarkand just to get at you. I did it because Zanarkand is going to lose this war. I don't think I want to be on this side when that happens. I like living, thank you very much. Anyway, getting a shot at revenge on you, that was a bonus." Finishing, she kicked my head hard with her boot, sending me into darkness.

When I came around, I knew those two were long gone. I'd been betrayed twice in one day, first by the man I'd given a second chance to, then by a woman I thought was still part of Zanarkand, no matter what hatred she bore for me. It had been a set-up the entire time. Trista was with Areth for one reason: Areth was her ticket to survival when Zanarkand ultimately fell at the hands of Bevelle. Areth found her to be the perfect trump card to use against Zanarkand and especially me. Areth'd planned it from the start. He'd trick us about reforming, using Kai as his ticket into the fold because I trusted Kai. Then, he fell in love with Trista who, luckily, had a vendetta against me, as well. Not knowing how to get her to like him, he'd tried everything until he remembered the first time he'd seen me and Trista talking.

_"Look Trista, just be a little more courteous, will ya? It's obvious that the poor man likes you. Why would he, I have no idea, but he does. I think you should at least try to hear him out." I said, having enough of Areth being made a fool of. "Oh great, it's the lamer with that songbird." She sneered, frowning upon seeing me approach. "Trust me, the feelings mutual, but I'm here to help a friend. This is Areth." I said, grabbing Areth by his collar and standing him up straight, "He's from B… uh… Bay Plaza!"_

Right from that one conversation he realized that she hated me, too, and that was the way to win her over. He had whispered that he came from Bevelle and could get her out of Zanarkand to safety with him and at the same time make me pay for whatever wrongs I'd done to her, information that I'm sure Trista would've been glad to tell him. After that, the plan was set in stone. Areth would continue to scrape information off of us while having his woman by his side, seeing any holes in his acts that he missed. "I'll kill them both." I muttered to myself.

After a while of grunting, I made my way over to Jurama's body. How would I tell Kirin? She'd just lost Damusa a little while before and nearly lost me during the same battle. How could I face her and tell her about this mess? I reached Ju's body and noticed a letter under his hand, placed there purposely by none other than those two insects. I took the letter from Ju and read it, "Omega City, I'll be waiting…" Omega City? That was the abandoned city that had originally been created because of the discovery of a gemstone vein. People rushed there bent on becoming rich, but eventually the gems were all discovered and taken, leaving the place a barren island with nothing to keep residents. Slowly, people left for places like Bevelle, Zanarkand, and places as far as Kilika for the older ones ready to move to a cozy retirement home. An abandoned city… a perfect burial grounds. It was probably why they'd picked it. I crushed the letter in my hand, the rage in my heart causing my hand to shake.

Slowly, I lifted Jurama's body, walking back to my hover solemnly. I placed him into my hover carefully, sorrow filling me without end. "How am I going to explain this to Kirin? She's lost so much already." I said quietly to myself as I started the hover and made my way back home. I drove to Kirin's house, taking my time so I could try to stall her pain for as long as I could. It ended up taking three hours, but nevertheless I reached and guilt boiled through my entire body. "I'm so sorry Kirin…" I whispered to myself, taking one last look at Jurama before exiting the hover and taking his body to my closest friend. Hesitantly, I knocked on the door, a part of me hoping she wouldn't open the door. A half-minute later, the door opened and a cheery Kirin popped out, ready to say hi in the usual energetic way, until she saw who I had in my trembling hands. "JU!" She screamed, tears immediately pouring from her eyes and she pressed her body to his tightly. I cringed with guilt as I heard her crying loudly, completely heartbroken from the loss. I found myself incapable of looking her in the eye for the next few hours as she wept for her dead love. How could I have let this happen? I was the one who told Jurama to fight Areth on his own. His blood was on my hands. Also, had Damusa not saved me, he wouldn't have been hit by that machina and he'd be alive, as well. Not only that, but if Kai wasn't my friend, he wouldn't have been murdered by Areth, either. I was the sole person responsible for all the pain I'd caused my friends. "It's my fault…" I stated lowly, still not looking Kirin in the eyes. "What?" She said exasperated from crying so long, "Shuyin, as much as I hate that Ju's dead and you were with him, I don't blame you." "You should… I'm the one that told him to go after Areth by himself. It was my fault for not taking care of him. I'm so sorry." I muttered, balling up my fists tightly. Kirin put a gentle hand on my shoulder, "What do you mean? Areth did this?" I nodded, taking a deep breath to let the hurt sink in. "But Ju could've handled just Areth." Kirin quickly stated. "I know he could've… if it was just Areth. Trista's a traitor, too." I said, tightening my fists even more. Kirin gasped, most likely remembering what she'd said to the bitch after we'd thought she changed. "Look, don't go after Trista. As hurt as you are right now, you won't think straight and Trista will kill you, too. I'm not going to make any more mistakes. I lost Damusa, Jurama, and Kai because I didn't think about all those what ifs. I'm not going to make the same mistake again. Please, let me handle Areth and Trista. I'll make sure they pay." I told her. "You expect me to just sit idly by while my love's murderer is still out there!" She screamed at me. "No… I don't expect that at all. I'm just saying that I'm more trained to fight. Anger actually makes me focus more because Takuma taught me how to use my anger to my advantage. If you go and fight Trista or Areth now, they'll use your hatred and anger against you. I know you too well. You aren't an angry person. If you're like you are now, it'll be too easy to throw you off and catch your mistakes. Please, just do me this favor and I'll make sure to bring you Trista's body on a platter." I said. Kirin looked back at Ju's colorless face and nodded slowly, "I want you to cut out her heart and crush it. Give the rest of her to me." I looked at her with much concern. I'd never heard so much bloodlust in her voice in my entire life. I'd make Trista suffer for doing this to Kirin. "Don't worry, you can count on it." I said solemnly, leaving her side to head for Omega City.

Tears falling out of my eyes, I got in my hover and sped for the port on the mainland that would take me to Omega City. I reached the port after nearly hitting all the cars driving on Zanarkand's streets. With tears blinding my eyes, driving should've been the last thing on my mind. However, I had a score to settle and a promise to keep. I drove my hover onto the ship and parked on the ground level. Exiting, I made my way to the lounge area and rested while I waited for the trip to end.

"What has got you so butchered?" A stern voice called over to me, patting me on the shoulder. I looked over wearily and saw that it was my mentor, Takuma. "Oh…" I said slothfully, the entire scenario having exhausted me, "Don't ask. I don't wanna tell." "Oh I see… Who died this time?" He asked me, doing like his usual tactless self. With an exasperated huff, I said, "Jurama. He was killed by Trista and Areth. It's all my fault." "I see. Well, since you're obviously going to kill them, allow me to join you." He said. I couldn't understand how he didn't feel any sympathy for those killed and those left behind. "You know, there's a thing known as compassion." I muttered, not caring whether or not he listened to me. "You know, there's a thing known as warfare. You have to realize that, with a war going on, saving lives isn't about guarding the people you care about. It's about eliminating the threat. Your tactics have been wrong thus far. Focus on eliminating the harm itself, not defending people from them as they come and seeking vengeance once you've failed that one out of twenty or thirty times." Takuma instructed. "So I should think about killing Areth and Trista and not protecting Kirin and Lenne? Well, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it?" I said in retort. "You stubborn fool. The world weeps and you try to absorb its pain. When there's a problem, you always make it your own. When people hurt, you take their pain and add it to yourself. You don't just feel the torture of your own life's problems, you feel the pain of everyone's problems. Do you know how much damage you've done to yourself already? Understand something: Everyone is responsible for his or her own life. If you feel the need to be responsible for everyone, you'll end up destroying yourself." He told me, heartless as he was. "I'm sorry, Takuma. I'm not as cold as you are. I actually have a heart. You're nothing but an unsent, and a ruthless warrior at that. What makes you an expert on emotions?" I asked him rudely. He huffed and shook his head at me, "What makes me the expert? You know what? I'm no expert. You're right, I'm only a cold-hearted unsent warrior. What would I know?"

The rest of the way to Omega was spent in silence. I continued to grow angrier at what I'd learned from this one day while Takuma merely sat opposite me, cleaning off his sword. When we docked, I found that the two of us had been the only people on the ship. Who'd come to Omega City anyway? Slowly, I found my way to my hover, motioning for Takuma to take a seat with me. We drove through the city's main streets, not finding a single person in sight. Finally, I drove to an open patch of land, probably Omega City's Park Plaza, where I found them. I leapt out of my hover and dashed towards them madly, insurmountable hatred pushing me on. "Shuyin! Have I taught you nothing?" Takuma shouted, dashing to catch up to me. I realized what my wild aggression had nearly done and stopped a few feet before the traitors, waiting for my back-up to reach me. "Sorry… I'm not myself." I said. "Aw, poor Shuyin's all upset because I killed his friends? Well, don't worry. Soon, you'll be joining them. Truna, Granu, Vicre, forces of Bevelle come!" Areth said, commanding for his reinforcements to join him. "So you had to get your goons, eh?" I muttered, breathing deeply to help me focus on not running in recklessly and slicing off Areth's face. "No, just a way of rewarding friends, eh guys?" He replied, waving over to the three he'd called by name. "So the Bevelle Jowiles are all here, ripe for the picking." I sneered, sending a smirk their way, "You should have stayed in Bevelle, jackass. Now, I'm gonna make sure you leave in a body bag." "This kid's got my vote of confidence so let's start this already!" Takuma exclaimed, getting into his stance. I followed suit, waving them on after. "Let's see if you can deal with my Aeons, now!" Trista cackled, summoning Valefor.

The soldiers all started firing, but both Takuma and I deflected shot after shot and threw each bullet right back at them. Areth pulled a soldier in front of himself just to dodge the bullets headed for him, getting his own ally killed, again. "Is that all that your friends mean to you, Areth? Shields? You've already used Kai as a shield against me, now you use this soldier?" I laughed, mocking the snake's cowardice. Having been shot a few times, Valefor was fueled up enough to release Energy Blast and flew up into the air. "Let me deal with the Aeon." Takuma said calmly, walking in front of me. I watched as my teacher made a few motions and lift his sword to his face just as the beam hit. At first, it seemed like Takuma was finished, however, when the smoke cleared, it was Valefor who was evaporating into nothing. Trista stomped the ground and summoned Ifrit next. "I've got this one!" I shouted, slamming my sword into its skull as soon as it appeared. It fell quite quickly after that move. "How dare you!" Trista grumbled, the vein on her neck beating faster. She hastily summoned Ixion soon after and Areth motioned for the Jowiles to start using their best blitzball moves and send a few bomb balls at us. Simply put, the rest of the Jowiles sucked. I dodged each blast easily, all the shots slow to begin with and slower with the extra weight of the bombs. "Is that the best you got?" I jeered, clapping arrogantly at their failure. This riled them and each pulled out a rifleblade machina gun. It was similar to Areth's gunblade, but was more gun than blade. They started firing madly, hoping that I wouldn't be doing the same to their bullets that I did to the other soldiers. I shook my head and deflected each bullet, sending them straight into the barrels of their rifleblades and causing them to explode. Meanwhile, Takuma had lopped off all of Ixion's legs, rendering the horse useless. Trista recalled it with a grunt and called out Shiva. "I'll let you have fun with this one." He told me, moving to face-off against Areth's gang. I positioned myself in front of the Ice Princess, recalling how my last fight against her had gone. She almost gave me the cold kiss of eternal slumber last time. This time, I'd waste her. The Aeon came at me trying to freeze my collar with her hand again. However, I grew a lot faster since that time and ducked as she reached, swiping vertically with my sword and following through by jumping in the air. The blade sliced through her right down the middle and she exploded into ice shards that disappeared as pyreflies exuded from them. There was no length to Trista's frustration as she watched her fourth Aeon fall. I knew what was coming next. The bitch summoner would unleash my favorite Aeon, the one that had given me three large claw marks on my chest the last time. I started off by readying myself for the same quick attack, but when Bahamut appeared, it charged Impulse instead. I also remembered what that attack felt like and I really didn't want to feel that much pain again. When Impulse was fired, I leaped into the air and onto Bahamut's back, just like I had done the last time. It tried diligently to scratch me off, recalling the last time I was on its back. Unfortunately for the dragon, I was even stronger than I was the last time I fought it and so, keeping myself on the Aeon wasn't a problem. I lifted my sword and stabbed it through Bahamut's skull, the tip of my blade passing through and out its chin. It roared painfully, finally shaking me off, but to its success, I pulled on the sword, slicing through its neck as I was flung to the ground. With a gaping hole in its throat, the mighty dragon plunged a claw into the ground and dispersed into pyreflies. I turned and smirked at Trista, but she wasn't paying attention to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to have been performing the sending. My eyes grew wide in horror as I turned to look at Takuma. He was on one knee, barraged by the Jowile's bombs, and fading fast. I dashed over to him and slapped a couple of bombs back toward the enemy. "It's too late." Takuma said to me, gasping for air, "I've been sent. Make sure to heed my words. The pain of the world is its own. Farewell…" And with that, he was gone, a cloud of pyreflies flying towards the Farplane.

I didn't know how I did it, but somehow, my body was capable of containing all the frustration, hatred, anger, and rage I felt. First, they'd killed Damusa, then executed Kai, following that Ju, and Takuma was taken just then. I felt my eyes twitch, my neck shake, my hand tightening around my blade's handle. Suddenly, I felt a rush of air and the strange presence of cherry blossoms. When I looked, I realized Trista had already summoned Yojimbo and a dog. Handing over some gil, she commanded the Aeon to use Zanmato again. However, instead, Yojimbo took out that micro sword thing and tried to attack me. "Wakizashi! NO!" I heard Trista scream as I flipped over the samurai and stabbed him from behind. Without any hesitation, I pulled up, swinging my sword through Yojimbo's skull and landing it behind where I was standing. Staying in this pose, I felt the Aeon slump to his knees and disappear into pyreflies soon after. I raised my head to look at my foes. It was Areth's goon brigade and the lowly summoner who had not a single Aeon left. Areth commanded his blitz team to attack me and, obedient as dogs, they came. I had enough power in me by then. Raising my sword and pointing it toward them, I unleashed Force Rain, disintegrating each of the three, the dried crimson on it leaving my blade to return its original blue color. "Anything else?" I said, turning my attention back at the two original perpetrators.

Areth looked from Trista back to me and back again before hastily retreating, leaving Trista behind. She turned to his fading back and reached out, knowing she'd been abandoned. "Guess you've been chosen as the lamb to the slaughter, eh?" I laughed, steadily approaching my prey. "But one tends to wonder, why would the love of my life leave me like this? Why do you think?" I snickered. With tears in her eyes and hate in her heart, she cast Ultima after Flare after Ultima on me, but I merely dodged them all, her accuracy falling greatly through her despair. Before she could cast another spell, I swung my sword, slicing off her hands. As she screamed in pain and fell to her knees, I laughed a most evil laugh. "You see, the answer lies in who you fell in love with." I said sadistically, moving my face closer to hers, "When a person betrays once, what's to keep him from repeating? I want you to enjoy the next few moments. I want you to think about how much you probably despise him right now. You probably hate him even more now, than you do me. Anyway, I have a promise to keep. Oh, but I'll make sure I send your head to your boyfriend." As I finished, I plunged my weapon deep into her chest and started to cut a large gash into her flesh. She screamed loudly, the sound pleasurable to my mind. Once the gash was large enough, I plucked my blade out, allowing warm blood to gush out spraying me all over. "I was told to rip it out and squash it." I said with a smile, plunging my hand into her chest and grabbing at the still-beating dark red organ, tearing it straight out and leaving a bloodied summoner to fall to the floor awaiting death. I stared at it, the heart slowly coming to a halt in my hand, warm blood oozing from it and dripping onto the floor. I dropped it and stomped on it, giving a sickening laugh as I did and looking back at Trista's body. "Still alive. Good. I wouldn't have wanted you to miss this." I told her, still smiling the way Areth normally did, "You know, the problem with loving a traitor is, you never know where his true loyalties lie." I spun and slammed my blade hard on her neck, slicing through as the head rolled away from the impact. Walking over, I picked it up by the hair and batted it with my sword in the direction where Areth had gone.

Slowly, I picked up the body and carried it back to my hover. I drove to the port again and got onboard the ship. I chose not to leave my hover the entire trip, knowing that a blood-covered blitzer was the last thing the captain needed to see. The ship reached the port and I drove toward Kirin's house. When I got there, I simply placed the body on her doorstep, not bothering to call for her because I didn't want to see my sweet innocent Kirin turn into a bloodthirsty murderer again. I returned to my hover and sped home.

Upon reaching my house, I went to throw out my bloodied clothing and hop into the shower. I took my time in there, letting the warm water ease away my pain as much as it could. My friends were dropping one by one and there wasn't a single plan in my mind on how I could stop that from happening. In less than a month, Lenne would go off to war and I'd be left behind to start off the preseason of blitzball. Time was running out…


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: The End of Zanarkand… The Birth of the City of the Dead**

One month flew by with me not seeing anyone and turning into a complete recluse. I spent that month either moping or letting out my frustration by pounding on a punching bag I had in my gym. All I could think about the whole time was how I was going to destroy Areth. Every time I hit the punching bag, my mind thought of that fearful face I'd seen back in Trista's home and I relished in that. He knew I was after him. For a month, I thought of nothing but reaping my revenge for killing my friends one by one. It was an odd feeling. Trista had been my first kill in vengeance. I'd never murdered someone in that particular manner before. It was always on the battlefield, in a kill or be killed situation, but her, I gave her no mercy. She was completely defenseless by the time I took her life. It wasn't to save my friends. I'd killed Trista in cold blood and I knew it… and a part of me enjoyed it. A part of me enjoyed watching her breathe her last breath. A part of me relished in her torment.

Those evil blue eyes in my dream came to haunt my thoughts once more. The dream that showed four fronts of the war: Areth, Death, Zanarkand, and my friends. Areth was still out there, probably scheming even worse things to come. Areth… he had done so much just to get even with me. Ever since that blitzball championship so many months ago, he'd been after me, seeking revenge for his loss. In a way, our goals were the same. After I found out he'd betrayed us all, I wanted to see his lifeless body and his blood stain my sword for no more reason than payback for taking my friends away one by one. It was vengeance. That dream I had must have been trying to show me what path I was about to lead and I was blind to it the whole time. Unfortunately, it was far too late to undo what I'd chosen for myself.

That's when I realized that it had been a month. A month meant more than just a span of time. It meant that blitz season was starting and even though I was utterly crushed, I had a city of fans that needed this bit of entertainment from the Abes to keep their minds off of the war that wouldn't relent. A month meant that I'd run out of time. A month meant that Lenne was going to the front. If I didn't' think of something then, there would never be another chance. Areth and my revenge would have to wait. Lenne and Kirin were much more important. The blitz season would be my chance to distract Kirin from her pain like she had done for me so many years back. As for Lenne, hopefully I'd be inspired by the time the starting game of the season was done.

I left my house early the day of the Abes/Psyches game. I needed to clear my mind and let myself live again. I'd confined myself in my house for so long, sulking in losses, I'd nearly forgotten how to. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I remember how I used to do it each time I felt overwhelmed by my mother's death or dealing with people in my youth who humored themselves by calling me a "bastard" child because of it. It was something that could easily give me some hope that I'd get through this. Slowly, I walked to the pier and waited. Dawn and the sunrise that came with it always seemed to give me what I needed to deal with my problems, to deal with my pain. "Hi there…" A soft voice whispered. I turned to see her, my beautiful songstress, my love. "Lenne!" My eyes opened wide as I saw her. I'd thought she'd be on her way to Gagazet. She walked up next to me quietly and put a warm hand on my shoulder. It was then that I noticed I was a wreck. I hadn't even thought about appearances since I killed Trista to see that I never changed the bloodied outfit I was wearing that day. "What are you doing up so early?" Lenne asked, causing me to return my attention to her. I hadn't noticed then because I was preoccupied, but she was up rather early herself. Something must have been on her mind, too. "I'm waiting for the sunrise. I used to do it a lot when I was still getting over my mom's death. It really helps your spirit." I told her. "Can a sunrise do that much?" She asked. I looked at her and smiled, "Picture this… The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade. Then, the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire; first in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter until everything glows. It's really pretty." Lenne smiled warmly, putting both her hands on my chest and looking up into my eyes, "It must be…" I smiled back at her and pulled her into my embrace, knowing that soon, she'd be on her way to an imminent demise.

The sun rose and we watched it together, sitting on the pier and leaning against one another. I never wanted the moment to end, but I knew that it would have to. I couldn't be selfish. I couldn't force Lenne to stay. In my heart, I knew she was doing the right thing by going. If anything, the summoners could hold off Bevelle's machina for as long as they could. It was better than hiding, better than being a coward. I always wanted to protect my friends and keep them from harm. It would be wrong of me not to understand that Lenne wanted that, too. "So when are you going to the front?" I asked when the sun shined brightly to bring forth the morning. "Tonight… Yu Yevon said that the summoners had to show exactly a month from that day, remember? I got that message in the evening." She said, her voice quivering, probably from fear. I pulled her closer and she hugged me, "I'll find a way, Lenne. I'll keep you safe no matter what. I won't let you die." We spent a few more minutes silently and then departed, in all likelihood, never to see each other again.

I still didn't want to face any of my friends, especially not Kirin, so I spent the day like I had the month, beating my punching bag to a pulp. Takuma was right about one thing, though. I was thinking too much about the people of Zanarkand, about everybody else but myself. Then again, that's what being human is about. He was an unsent; what could he possibly feel about the living? Even if he was right and I shouldn't make everybody's losses mine, how could I not? Bevelle was everybody's problem and that meant I was doing the right thing, wasn't I? I just couldn't shake that one thing he said to me: "The world weeps and you try to absorb its pain." I knew I was doing myself in, but what choice did I have? I knew how badly it hurt when my mother died. Did I want to just let other people feel the same hurt that I did? Wouldn't the right thing, the human thing, be to put an end to suffering? If I failed to protect my friends from being hurt, wasn't it right to share the burden, to feel the guilt of failure? Kirin had helped me deal with my loss and I repaid her by costing both Damusa and Jurama's lives. It was my fault that they'd been killed and who really suffers for it if not Kirin. It was only fair that I feel miserable, too.

The day passed pretty quickly and I still hadn't thought of a solution to end all of the casualties, to end the suffering. I went on my way to the blitz stadium to get through with the game, trying to be as happy as I could be. It was all I could do to keep the spirit of Zanarkand high. I'd failed Kirin; the least I could do was help everyone else. "Can you sign this?" A kid asked me while I made my way to a crowd of cheerful fans. Nodding, I took the blitz ball and pen and signed "my" name. Another kid came up right after, followed by a third. When I was done with them, two girls came up to me, holding blitz balls near their face while desperately holding in their excitement at being so close to the Blitz Ace. "Can I have your autograph?" One of the girls said, her voice coming out a little awkwardly. No doubt she was holding back a scream. I'd received plenty of screams and squeals and even a few fainting incidents from fangirls throughout my career. "Sure." I said smoothly, taking the ball and spinning it on my finger to make them both wow. It had become second nature to me to do a little flirting in front of girls to meet their expectations and to keep up the Tidus appearance. I signed the balls and continued my act, "If I score tonight, I'll do this." I held out my hands making right angles with my index finger and thumb. "This'll mean it was for you." I said with my classic smile. Both of the girls giggled and did that hiding their face with a blitz ball thing again. I didn't know how I could flirt so easily when my heart was still thinking about the songstress that I'd soon lose, but I just did. I asked them where their seats were and remembered what part of the stadium that was in before nodding and trying to move on. "One, two, three… TEACH US HOW TO BLITZ!" The kids shouted in sync. "Um, tonight? Well…" I started to say, not really in the mood to play with kids since I felt so sour. "Please!" They all chanted together, looking at me with those innocent eyes that I just couldn't refuse. I still didn't want to think about doing anything that night after the game so I decided to make a compromise. "I can't tonight, but how about tomorrow?" I asked. All three of them cheered and performed the little bow thing that had become the blitzball sign for victory. In my opinion, that was the dumbest looking victory sign ever, but I wasn't the one that had to do it. I walked away from the crowd moments later and turned to say, "Cheer for me!" before I continued to the stadium and see my friends for the first time since Trista and Areth betrayed us.

When I got to the locker room, the first person I saw was Kirin. I didn't know how to approach her so I just stood against a wall looking like an idiot. Obviously, she noticed and I walked over when she waved. "How've you been? I haven't seen you in so long! You didn't answer your door. Is everything alright?" She asked, almost as if nothing had happened. "Kirin… How are you? Did you… find the… I mean… I can't even say it…" I mumbled, memories of a month prior still haunting my mind. "You mean Trista's corpse? Yea, I saw that you brought it to me." She replied, knowing exactly what I was talking about. "What'd you end up doing with it?" I said lowly, not really wanting to know. She smiled a little, "You should know… I'm just not that kind of person… I took her to the cemetery. You sure made a mess of her, though." Relief hit my heart as I realized the Kirin I knew wasn't lost. I quickly hugged her close, mentally giving thanks to whatever kept Kirin from turning into a vengeful monster. "Alright, you don't have to choke me!" Kirin shouted, bringing me back to reality. I released her, looking into her eyes and finding that sweet innocent girl I once knew, still intact. "Now, are you alright? You've been so worried that you lost me that you made yourself a hermit." She joked, patting my still stained clothes. I was just glad that none of the fans had noticed the stains all over my clothing. That wouldn't have made for a very uplifting star blitzer. My guess was that the streetlights weren't bright enough for them to notice the difference between a shadow and a blood smear. "We have got to get you out of those threads. You can't be seen playing blitzball in that. What would Zanarkand think?" She said, looking over the horrendously filthy outfit I was wearing and had been wearing for the past few weeks. "Well, the only other outfit I have here is that strange one… You remember, the one Kion bought me?" I said, recalling the deformity of that bit of clothing. Kirin smiled a little and giggled somewhat, "Well, you're going to make Kion very happy today. I'm not letting you out of this locker room until you put that other stuff on and… burn this." I made a face and walked into the changing room to get on the other outfit. The reason I disliked it so much was because symmetry was a little important to me. The outfit Kion bought me had a regular length shorts leg and one that was so short, it showed part of my boxers. Something was wrong with whoever designed those pants. Not only that, the shirt's arm had a normal length T-shirt sleeve and then this long sleeve red thing that was severely out of place. Not to mention, the shirt only went down far enough to reach the middle of my chest. Then, there was the glove that went on my left hand. Not only was it bulky, it was hard to move my fingers because the material was so hard. Also, there was some kind of bracelet attached to it that really made no sense. I had no idea what Kion saw in that get up. In any case, I put it on and left the locker room.

"Ah, much better." Kirin said when she saw me. I felt ridiculous with all the unevenness of my clothes, "Kirin, I think the blood stains are making a fashion statement. I'll go back in and change again." Kirin ran over to me and halted me from making a run back into the locker room, "Nah, you look great. A little lop-sided, but great." "Hey, there's my bro. How ya doin', T? Ain't seen ya since ya ran outta Lennie's place. What happened between you two?" Rothel exclaimed, making his way to us. "A lot, believe me. It isn't the time to talk about it. I'll tell you after the game, okay?" I said, thinking back on Lenne and how she was probably at Mt. Gagazet awaiting orders. "Whoa! Like, you're so wearing that gear I got you. How's the feel man, how's the feel?" The completely stoned voice of Kion shouted from behind me as the Abes goalie and his girl friend made their way over to our little group. "Hi Kion. What's he on this time?" I said, asking Vena. The Abes' defensive player only laughed, "You know, for once, Kion's on nothing but a good mood." "Yea, nothin' like a good victory in waiting to get the blood pumpin', am I right?" He said, high as ever. "Yea, I can't wait 'til we whoop some Al Bhed ass. I don't care if they got good. I don't care 'bout Naru. I don't care 'bout Tappa. We gonna own 'em just like we own everybody else. Reignin' champs, none better, all challengers welcome, ya know?" Rothel followed up, pumping the rest of us up for yet another win. "Of course! We'll beat them, no problem." Kirin added, yet another half-hearted statement to lighten the mood and let us all focus on the game and entertaining our people. "This game's in the bag." Vena said, joining in. I shook my head and smiled at the guys. What a team… "Let's get in there and win us a blitz game." Just then, Haru finally showed up. "Haru, there you are. C'mon, the game's about to start. Can't get cold feet now." I happily said, putting an arm around the former rookie. Together, the Zanarkand Abes walked out to the arena to greet the fans and give them a show.

We entered in the same way we'd done before, the Zanarkand fans still as loud as ever. "What's our goal?" I asked again, following the old tradition. "Victory!" Everybody yelled. The guys took their spots along the rim of the arena and we waited for the Sphere Pool to form. The waves of electricity focused into one small dot in the center and exploded wowing the crowd as it had always managed to do, even after so many years. I looked into the water, my heart half lingering on the war. "Soon Lenne… I'll figure something out soon. Just keep fighting and stay with me. It'll all be behind us one day." I thought to myself before entering the Sphere Pool with my friends.

I swam to my place opposite Tappa and looked him eye to eye. He smiled at me with both respect and arrogance as most of the competition usually did. He wanted to be better than me. He thought he was better than me. However, he knew to show his rivals their due. That had been what really bothered me about Areth's smile. He didn't have the show of respect we were supposed to have for each other. He just saw me as an insect he needed to crush. The blitz ball was sent up through the water and both of us swam to grab it. This time, Tappa tried to pull in right under the ball, swiveling around me whenever I tried to knock him away. If I had to credit him on any part of his skill, it'd have to be speed. Fortunately, even with his agility on par with my own, I knew a few tricks from years of being a blitzer and years of being Jecht's son. I faked him and rammed my shoulder into him so I could get under the ball myself. I grabbed it before Tappa could reach and he had to get on the defensive quickly while I tried maneuvering around him to keep the ball. His speed was incredible. After only ten seconds of trying my hardest to get away from him, I had no choice but to pass the ball. Haru caught the ball just fine, but he was tackled in an instant. The Al Bhed weren't letting up. They really wanted to be the special team, the one and only team that gave the Abes and their ace their first ever loss. The ball traded off between players over and over, each catch followed by a tackle. Finally though, I intercepted a pass and caught it. Unfortunately, just as I was about to go on the offensive, an elbow knocked me right back into Tappa's awaiting arms. He grabbed me and I struggled to get him off, but it was no use. Tappa was hanging onto me for everything it was worth. Once again, I had no choice but to pass the ball. This time though, I sent it downward in an attempt to distract Tappa and get him to chase after the ball. To my luck, he let me go and started to swim after the prize, allowing me to get the drop on him. I corkscrewed my feet at him when he went under me for the ball and then I headed for the goal. Naru had the ball in her possession, but when she went for a pass, she took too long. Rothel knew what I was doing and within a few moments had secured the ball from Naru's pass, readying a pass of his own. There were two guys trying to block me, Tappa fast approaching. I swerved and faked, awkwardly getting past them as I ran into a third defense. He was trying to get enough space to form a coverage area around me so every advancement I'd make, he'd make a retreat. Simply said, I backed him up to the edge of the Sphere Pool without him knowing and socked him in the chest with my right elbow, sending him straight into the bleachers. With one man down, three trying to catch up, and Naru nowhere near me, their goal had been left wide open. Rothel passed me the ball, but Tappa was quickly gaining. With Naru guarding Vena, Haru almost nowhere in sight, and Rothel a fairly good distance from the goal, my options were limited. If I went for the shot, Tappa's speed might be capable of blocking. "Pass it here T!" Kirin said from above. She was completely open with not a single Psyche within coverage range so I hurled it straight up at her. Quickly, she pushed her legs in toward her chest and when the ball reached, she spring-boarded it directly into the goal. I swam up to a cheering Kirin and gave her a high-five as Kion and Vena exchanged one, as well. "So, we're going for our signature moves already I see." I said, teasing. "Meh, those Psyches think they're tough, well we'll show them one for!" She exclaimed, patting me on the chest before swimming off. The ball went up again and Tappa got to it before I could, passing it quickly to Naru before I could take it from him. Haru and Kirin swam for her and cornered her while I continued to guard Tappa. Vena was being chased by another Psyche but Kion moved in and blocked her, allowing Vena to move in behind Naru and snatch the ball while she was too busy fending off the other two. The Psyche that Kion was guarding managed to lose him and went after Vena again so she chucked the ball to Rothel who signaled for me to go for a Jecht Shot. He motioned for Kirin to go after Naru and Kion to help Vena while I moved to the center of the Sphere Pool, waiting for the pass. Tappa saw what was coming and swam after Rothel to stop him from making the pass, while Haru looked on from near the bottom of the pool. It was then that he realized his mistake. Instead of passing me the ball, Rothel hurled it up and I darted for the surface.

I broke through the water and positioned myself near the ball, starting a backflip with a sly smirk on my face. Little did I know it would be the last time I'd ever smile again. As I started to plummet, my body almost upside down, I noticed projectiles, about five of them, heading straight for the Blitz Stadium. My eyes went wide as the missiles tore through the night air, several explosions from other missiles behind them. Before I could even warn the rest, they hit and I was blown upward from the massive burst of energy from the power generator of the Sphere Pool. Every bit of the building was engulfed in flame as I felt myself thrown around the air. At last, I was pushed toward a ledge and grabbed onto it with everything I had. The tremors from the collapsing building made clinging onto the ledge difficult, but I tried my best and managed to get both hands on it. Pieces of the walls kept falling toward the ground and the ledge I was holding became unstable. With a shake, I lost my grip and fell to the ground screaming.

When the shock in my body ceased, I pushed myself off the ground and tried to stand, the entire area whirling around me. I closed my eyes and put a hand to my forehead to drown out the panicked and fearful screaming and stop the dizziness in my head. A few seconds passed and I regained my focus, looking all around me and surveying the destruction. "KIRIN!" I screamed, "Rothel! Kion, Vena!" I searched frantically for them, hoping that they were okay. A lifeless Al Bhed body, pinned by a steel pipe to some rubble didn't help to ease my nerves. I struggled with some of the debris, climbing over some and prying a few bits away to get through a wrecked hall. I'd been blown all the way near the entrance of the stadium and I'd seen many people escape so the arena might not have been hit as hard. I moved through the bleachers, most of the seats ripped off by the force of the explosions. "Rothel! C'mon, if you guys are up, say something!" I shouted again. Awkwardly, I climbed and maneuvered around huge chunks of wall until I got near the slightly flooded balcony. I looked at the water and saw a little stream of red moving toward my feet. "Kirin! C'mon, this isn't the time to joke! This isn't funny!" I said again, slowly moving through the water as the red started getting thicker and darker. As I approached the ramp to the locker room area, I found Rothel lying sprawled on the floor, blood spewing out of the back of his head as his blank eyes stared at the sky. "ROTHEL!" I ran over to him and knelt down, lifting him up a little and seeing a jagged piece of the banister underneath, stained in a thick coat of crimson. Carefully, I put him down next to the slab of debris and shook him gently, "Wake up. Rothel, I know you can hear me… I said WAKE UP!" I shook harder and shouted louder, but Rothel's body remained limp and his face started looking paler while more blood dripped into the water and onto me. "ROTHEL, I SAID GET UP! I'm not taking no for an answer!" I screamed, punching him in the chest. I felt my arms shake, but I didn't care. I punched Rothel in the chest again and again, "You can't die! Do you understand me! I said, you are not dying! What about Larea? You're supposed to get married! You can't die!" I punched him again, tears flooding my eyes. I blinked them away and hit him again, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up roughly. The action snapped his neck back and closed his eyes. "NO! Don't you dare close your eyes on me! WAKE UP!" I screamed one last time before I collapsed into the water on top of him, the anguish at losing my best friend finally sinking in.

"Kirin!" I gasped, lifting my head off Rothel's chest. I had to find her. Even if Rothel was lost, there were still other people I could save. I pushed myself back to my feet and looked at my best friend's body one last time, "I'll get Bevelle for this. Don't worry Rothel… They'll pay the consequences, but right now, I have to find Kirin and the others." I looked around the rest of the balcony and found nothing but rubble so I climbed to the bottom of the wreck and continued my search from there. "Kirin? Vena, Kion! Where are you?" I walked slowly around the bottom of the stadium, calling out to my friends every now and then. Suddenly, I tripped over something and landed on some rocks. Wincing, I turned back to see what I tripped over and saw a hand. I looked over just a little to the left and saw another one, both leading to a huge boulder, blood streaming from the bottom into the water. I looked closer at the hands and realized that one had a ring on the fourth finger… Vena's engagement ring… The other hand was dully tanned like Kion's… I shook my head slightly in disbelief. They'd both been crushed under that stupid rock. In anger, I kicked the rock; a pointless move. "So you two are gone, also…" I muttered, touching the hands gently to say my goodbyes.

I quickly got up and searched for Kirin. Take away anybody and everybody else, but Kirin's been threw enough. She lost Damusa and Jurama only a month back; she shouldn't have to die like this. I roamed around the area, tripping over rocks and stumbling around carelessly, shouting out for her every once in a while. I didn't want to give up on the small chance that Kirin was just knocked out, but I knew the only real reason I wasn't killed in that blast was because I was several feet above it. I admitted to myself that the "crowd" I saw escaping from the stadium was really just a few people, maybe a dozen if I was lucky. The chances Kirin had survived were slim to none. I walked on and shouted her name one more time, before stepping into a shallow pool of water. I looked down and didn't want to see what was in front of my eyes. Lying a few feet ahead of me, surrounded in a sea of crimson, was Kirin's body… whatever was left of it. From what I could see, the lower half of her body was torn off at the waist and thrown elsewhere. When I got closer, I saw that she was also missing her left arm, the scorch marks showing that it was blown off from the missiles. As if that wasn't bad enough, half of her face was sheared off, probably from being thrown against a wall. Tears streamed down my face as I stood there, my legs trembling. I felt cold on the inside and numb in my heart. They'd taken it away… Bevelle had taken everyone I cared about away from me… "Kir… in…" I muttered, my voice raspy and weak, "What has Bevelle done to you…" I walked over to her slowly and knelt beside her, brushing a few strands of hair away. "You'll be okay, Kirin… Everything'll be fine… You're going to be with Ju and Damu and see a huge field of flowers…" I whispered, choking back more tears as I struggled with the chaos in my mind. Kirin was dead. I felt my body tremble, a mix of hate and despair boiling within my heart, "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed to the night sky above, trying desperately to force the pain out. It was all I could do to keep from losing control. Still trembling, I lost my strength and cowered, pressing my forehead up against Kirin's. "Get some rest now… I'll take you to where you wanted to go… Remember? When we were kids… you told me that you wanted to see all of Zanarkand when you leave for the Farplane…" I whispered to her closed eyes, the act done to hold back the madness growing within. "Bevelle's taken everything from me… Bevelle's taken you away… There's nothing left for me…" I strained, my voice cracking as I hugged Kirin's lifeless body. "Wait… there's still hope… I can't save you… But, Lenne's still out there. I failed you, but maybe I can still save her… I'll be back, Kirin. I promise I'll be back. I'll take you to where you can see all of Zanarkand, but first I need to try and save Lenne. Please forgive me…" I said hoarsely, kissing her on the forehead before standing up and running as fast as I could back out of the Blitz Stadium.

I ran through the street, seeing machina everywhere. I didn't care. Lenne was my goal and machina meant she'd be near. She was sent to the front to defend Zanarkand from them as futile as it was. I ran along the road, disregarding the terrified screams from my home's citizens. I reached an area where a machina had embedded itself into a nearby building. It opened up spores and fired them at the road, the projectiles transforming into smaller machina… machina that were blocking my path… "Get… out… of my way…" I growled, unsheathing my sword. Of course, these were nothing but automatons and only knew to attack, but I could care less about that. "Get OUT OF MY WAY!" I screamed, rushing to the closest one and slicing it in two. The others tried to attack me, but I cut through the ones blocking my path and kept running. I had no time to seek revenge for my friends' deaths. I had yet another loved one I needed to save and I wasn't about to put that hope in jeopardy. The machina shot more pods at me, this time surrounding me on all sides. "You do NOT want to get in my way…" I ran through the ones in front of me and spun in the air, putting large gashes into the machina and continuing to run, dashing past the exploding bodies. Suddenly, a missile hit the road on my right side and I was thrown toward the edge. Telling myself that Lenne was still out there somewhere, I forced myself, tired as I was, to get up and keep going. After another few minutes, another explosion from behind me threw me forward, landing me in a heap. I was battered and exhausted, but that didn't matter. I picked myself back up, using my sword to pull myself back to my feet. Finally, I got to a wrecked section of the road and saw machina just beyond. They spotted me and fired, but I made a quick leap and got safely over the flames. The road was destroyed, but I made it across to the other side. Seeing a few soldiers, flaunting their advantage over me, I said, "Where is she? Tell me…" I walked over hastily, sword held firmly in hand and a mad expression on my face, eyes faded to the darkest blue and bloodshot from tearing earlier. The soldiers looked at me with fear and started to back away, but I wouldn't let them live. "Tell me where the summoner is." I hissed, steadily approaching and carving marks at whoever I reached. They started to run and I gave chase. I tore through them with ease and headed for the machina, taking apart the legs to make them fall. When all the enemy forces were taken down, I searched around. "Lenne?" I called out, "Lenne, are you here?" I looked everywhere in the vicinity but there wasn't a single summoner in sight. Bevelle must have made a surprise attack. They had so many machina, they could afford an attack on the front in the Calm Lands and a side attack, striking Zanarkand directly. "Machina will be the death of us all." I groaned, falling on the ground to catch my breath. Wait! That was the solution to Zanarkand's problems. Machina; Bevelle had such a surplus, why didn't I just think of borrowing one to use for our side? I could break into Bevelle and find their biggest, their strongest machina and blow holes into their lands. Why didn't I think of it sooner? If only that idea had come into my mind a month ago, all my friends would still be alive. In anger, I punched the ground. All of their lives would have been spared had I only not been so stupid.

Of course… I would be mincemeat if I just went in alone. I could get the job done, but it would cost me my life. I'd need help. Zanarkand's safety wasn't only my concern; there was still another person who was responsible with Zanarkand's fate. I got back to my feet and ran to a place I hadn't been to in a very long while… the origin of all summoners… Yu Yevon… I found my way back to the capitol building of Zanarkand. I banged roughly on the door, my strength waning from all I'd been through in that one night. "Yes? Oh my!" Yu Yevon said when he opened the door, gawking at my disheveled state. My clothes were charred and covered in dirt and I stood awkwardly, my legs barely able to hold me up. "Who are you?" He asked. "Never mind who I am. I came here because I think I know how we can stop Bevelle once and for all." I said stressfully, gasping for breath in between words. "Oh? Well by all means, do tell." He said in a strange way, almost like he didn't want Bevelle to stop attacking. "Machina… Bevelle's got so many machina, why don't we just go in there and take one for ourselves? I can find the best one, but I'll need your help to get back out. You know spells that could protect me while I operate the machina and then you can get me out with some levitation thing or something. If we work together, we can overcome Bevelle's attack and rid Zanarkand of the threat once and for all." I told him with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. "Do not be foolish. You will never make in alive, let alone hope to steal their powerful beasts of destruction. What makes you so confident in your abilities? You are no summoner." He said with the traditional pride. "Look, I know I can make it in and I know I can get the job done. All I need is an escape route. If you won't help me, I'll just go to Bevelle myself and take them down with me." I said with exasperation in my voice. Yu Yevon approached me and put a hand on my shoulder, "I cannot allow you to destroy Bevelle." With that said, I felt my body weaken and my vision blur. The world went dark and I collapsed on the ground in front of Yu Yevon's feet.

When I awoke, I was lying in water. "Huh? Where am I?" I said aloud, getting to my feet. The first thing I noticed were the iron bars in front of me and surrounding me. "Hey!" I shouted, grabbing at the bars and trying to pull them apart. I noticed a few guards near me and quickly screamed, "What do I get arrested for! Let me go already!" They kept talking amongst themselves, occasionally glancing at me like I wasn't even there. "You hear me don't you? What would you have done if she was your girl! Who cares if I use the enemy's machina? It was the only way to save the summoner! What would YOU have done instead! Let me out of here! LET ME SEE HER!" I screamed desperately and furiously, knowing full well that she could easy have been out on the Calm Lands at that very second, hopelessly overwhelmed by Bevelle. I shook the bars and hit them over and over again. There wasn't anything else I could do. If I couldn't get out of the cell, there was no way the summoners could survive for long. It took me about ten minutes to figure out that my efforts were in vain. All I really accomplished was giving the guards a show. Zanarkand's top blitzer losing it in a jail cell, who'd have thought. I slumped back in the cell and thought about how things went this far. Kirin and Rothel and Kion and Vena and Damusa and Jurama and who knows how many more of my fellow citizens of Zanarkand paid the price for what I failed to realize. It was all my fault they died. If I'd figured out that Areth was after me from the start, he'd never have the opportunity to report our weaknesses to the enemy. If I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt, I could have saved every one of my friends and even more perhaps. Not only that… if only I hadn't been so naïve and realized Yu Yevon couldn't help us at all. What was I thinking? Zanarkand has been a city of peace and luxury for as long as I can remember. What were we to Bevelle in terms of military? I should have fought harder and longer. If I kept going, maybe we could have gotten to the head of Bevelle and made him stop his war. Well, that was a stretch, but at least things would have been better than this…

A little bit of time passed and I saw a dark figure approaching from the distance. A guard must have gotten someone after hearing me yell. It was just like my dream, but the figure couldn't have been Areth, could it? "I see you are awake." The figure said in a distinct voice, "I have another method you could undertake that would serve our purpose as well." "Yu Yevon, what are you talking about?" I said, identifying the man with a sneer. Silently, the old crone approached the cell, his eyes looking at me with an air of spite, "If I call Lenne back from the frontlines, she would be safe from Bevelle's forces." "What's the catch because I know there has to be one." I told him in a doubting tone. "Alas, you have seen through my guise. Very well, I shall tell you of a wondrous plan to be rid of Bevelle's onslaught as well as live eternally in the hearts of Spirans." He said enthusiastically. "Again… what's the catch?" I grumbled. "Yes, I lost my thought there. Forgive an old and withering man. I am not as insightful as I used to be. Well, enough of my ramblings; I must tell you your role in the grand scheme." He said, his little tale already starting to bore me. "Bevelle's machina are great, however there are creatures of magic even more powerful than all of the machina Spira could ever design. These creatures are known as Sin and Penance. However, while the beast Penance can be contained with the power of fayth, Sin is far too feral to be allowed a gain in strength for longer than one decade at a time. Therefore, I have set a method in which a summoner can defeat Sin temporarily…" "What is the CATCH?..." I growled, unbelievably peeved at his stupid tale. My plan was far less complicated than this creature of the deep crap. "Oh yes, of course. My apologies once more. You and your lady summoner will help me destroy Sin before it destroys all life on Spira. Your summoner will bring forth an Aeon that will have enough power to pierce through Sin's body." He said. "Wait… Let me get this straight. You want to make a thing that is so unstable and uncontrollable that it'll attack anything and everything on Spira. All this just to beat Bevelle? Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I think my plan was a bit better. And… you still haven't gotten to the catch." I returned. "Alas, you are far too impatient. You see, Sin is a creature that surrounds an Aeon like a shell or a barrier to the outside world. Therefore, once you and your lady have defeated the original Sin, her Aeon will become the next Sin. This unending cycle will be how we can end wars on Spira for all eternity. They will be taught to discard the luxuries of machina and live a simpler life, one that could never hope to wage war." He explained. I sighed and spoke in a frustrated tone, "What is the catch for the last time… You said you wanted Lenne to summon an Aeon. I doubt any of her Aeons could pierce something that could annihilate all life on Spira." "Of course, I don't expect any of her Aeons to wield that much power. The Aeon I am referring to is a very special breed of Aeon, different for each summoner. You see, you will be that Aeon." He stated. I looked at him with the thought that he must be completely off his rocker, "Um, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly a candidate for faythood…" "Oh that is but a simple matter. With my tutelage, Lady Lenne will be capable of creating her own fayth. With her impressive skill, I have no doubts that she can learn this ability without fail." He started saying, as if the ink was already dry on the contract. "So you want me to become a fayth… Do you have any idea how stupid that is? Lenne would never agree to it and neither would I. Just help me with my plan." I said. "Foolish youth! You do not understand the elements at hand. Just do as you are told. Do not question those who comprehend a great many things you cannot hope to realize." He scolded, obviously frustrated at my insubordination. It was enough to make me realize he wasn't with helping Zanarkand any longer. "I'll never help you with whatever you're planning. Leave Lenne out of this, too." I said, watching as Yu Yevon slowly turned and began to leave, "Do you hear me? If you do anything to Lenne, death will be the least of your worries." As empty of a threat as it sounded, given my present state, I meant every word. I'm not one to fail and if Yu Yevon ever called me bluff, I'd find some way to show him that I keep my promises. Even death wouldn't stop me…

"Bah, the war only drags on because Zanarkand refuses to surrender." Somebody caught my attention from outside. I looked up and strained in the dim light and saw a guard… but it wasn't a Zanarkand uniform… What were Bevelle soldiers doing in Zanarkand! "You're wrong! If you'd stop attacking, there wouldn't be a war." I shouted, putting aside my shock. He scoffed, "We're not falling for that." "Someday…" I muttered, "Your precious weapons will end up destroying you." That someday would come soon… "Bah, you stupid Zanarkand idiots. Don't you get it? You lost already. You've been losing and you'll keep losing. Your own leader already realizes that. Get over it." He said. "Imagine the woman you love… Imagine she's out there in the midst of a losing battle. Tell me you wouldn't try to hope and pray like I'm doing. Tell me you wouldn't try to save her at all costs. Tell me you wouldn't try to lie to yourself." I told him, walking toward the bars. Likewise, the guard came toward me, signaling for the others to leave, "Do you expect me to care about you or your girlfriend? Kid, grow up. Love is stupid." He came toward the bars and looked me in the eyes, failing to notice my grin. "Love might be stupid, but not as stupid as you…" I sneered and reached my arm through the bars. I swung my arm around and pinned his neck to the bars while I grabbed his gun with my other hand, "Care about my girlfriend now? I'll never let her die and this should prove my resolve." I fired a few shots into the guard's chest and dropped the gun to search for the keys. I let go of the body and unlocked my cell, sneaking toward the door. Listening, I could hear that there were at least three conversing. My sword was most likely with them and there wasn't a chance in this life that I would let them keep it. I retrieved the gun and picked up the guard's body, awkwardly walking him to the door. I opened it and threw the body out at the guards, running through and locating my sword on a counter a few feet away. The guards started to fire at me so I had to evade somewhat before getting to the counter. I grabbed my weapon and turned, deflecting a few bullets before taking off. I couldn't waste anymore time than I already had. The fact that Yu Yevon told me he could call Lenne back from the front meant he was holding the summoners off for a little while. Besides, if I wouldn't help him with his plan, he'd need some other summoner to help him. It wouldn't work in his favor to send them off to their death just yet. Lenne was safe for the moment and I had to keep a promise. I ran to a hover cruiser, still dodging shots from the guards. It was good that Rothel taught me how to activate any hover, even without a key. I got on the hover, hearing one of the guards yelling that it was his, and drove off quickly.

I reached the blitz stadium shortly after. Kirin wanted to oversee Zanarkand and I knew of only one place to take her. I found her body in the same place I'd left it, the sight still stinging my broken heart. "I'm back… just like I said I would be. Before we go, we need to clean you up. I can't let you go out looking all disheveled like that now can I." I said quietly. I didn't know if I only wanted keep myself from breaking down or if I really thought she could hear me. The fact was, I wasn't sure my mind was very clear at that point. My heart knew Kirin was gone, but somehow, my mind seemed not to understand. I picked up her body slowly and carried her to the hover. There was no side seat on this one so I had to carry her in front of me. I drove back to my house and took her inside. The both of us were covered in blood and that was not the right way to present yourself. I got rid of Kirin's tattered outfit and scrubbed the blood off her, making sure to drain the wounds that she had. Once she was all clean, I looked in my closet and found one of the dresses Lenne had left from one of her concerts. Kirin and Lenne were about the same size so the dress fit pretty well. "Okay, now that you're all cleaned up," I said to her while looking at my own stained wear, "I think I should freshen up, too." I chucked my clothes into the hamper and took a shower. When I finished, I found another of my better outfits and got it on. Looking back, all of that really wasn't necessary, but at the time, I'm sure insanity was more useful than despair. "Alright, now we gotta get you to the highest place around so you can see all of Zanarkand." I said to her, using as happy of a voice as I could muster.

I put her in the back seat of my hoverglyph and drove toward Mt. Gagazet. Lenne was on the other side of the mountain, but I didn't want her to see Kirin like she was. It was bad enough I had to endure it. Besides, I didn't want her to see me either. It would be easier to let me go if her last meeting with me was this morning. I was going through with my plan and that meant I was going to die. I carried Kirin up Gagazet when the road started looking too rough and too narrow for my hover to move through. Soon after, a group of ronso halted my progression. I stared at them with cold eyes, slowly unsheathing my sword as I held Kirin close to me, "Get in my way and you die." None of them budged so I readied myself into an attack position. "Stop!" I heard a voice roar from afar. A large white ronso approached from the distance, his green eyes looking at me with solemn compassion. "Shuyin tell Galte truth… Where is Rothel?" He asked me, already knowing what answer I'd give him. "I'm sorry Galte… Rothel's gone… Bevelle attacked the blitz stadium… I'm the only one left." I told him. The ronso roared a painful cry and punched a nearby wall, "Galte understand… Ronso let you do what you must." When he finished, all of the ronso that had been blocking my path moved to the side. I nodded to Galte and kept walking, feeling a tear slide down my cheek as I recalled the vision of my best friend's pale face. I found my way to the summit of Gagazet and looked at the ravaged city I called home. I could see some light penetrating the darkness and realized that a new day was beginning. I put Kirin next to a boulder and jabbed my sword into the ground. I used it as a shovel, prying dirt away and making a hole. Each time I drew more dirt from the ground, it became more real that Kirin was gone and I felt teardrops swell in my eyes and drop into the hole I was creating. Finally, I couldn't take anymore and, in a fit of rage, I charged my weapon and unleashed a Force Rain at the ground, finishing the hole. I turned around and stabbed the ground a few times while trying my best to hold back my anger. It took a while, but I calmed down and wiped the tears from my face. I got back to Kirin and gently placed her in the hole, saying my final goodbye before pushing the dirt back. When the task was completed, I looked at my sword. "Maybe this thing can protect you better than I did." I said lowly, stabbing the sword into the ground in front of Kirin's grave, "I love you… Be at peace… I'll be with you soon…" I started my way back down to the hover. The ronso looked at me with sympathy from where they'd been standing since before. I walked to Galte and took a deep breath to stop the chaos in my mind, "Look after her for me…" "Gagazet mountain and ronso will protect Kirin." Galte told me, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. I nodded slightly to him and walked the rest of the way to my hover.

Bevelle would fall before the next sunset. I promised myself that my friends' deaths would be avenged. I promised myself that I would save Lenne. I promised myself that when I was done with Bevelle, there wouldn't ever be a second war. My hover sped through the outskirts of the Calm Lands, picking up as much speed as I could. If there were any machina assembled, they'd never see me coming. It took about five minutes to get to Bevelle's gate. Surprisingly, there were no machina anywhere. I drove straight through the gate, skidding to stop once I was inside. Somebody was in the way, but that was taken care of quite quickly once my hover crushed him. Within Bevelle lay a powerful creature of destruction... and I'd be the one to utilize it.

"Congratulations on making it to my domain. Just one little thing: Where do you think all our forces are?" A cynical voice jeered from the shadows. "What? You think Zanarkand's summoners can't handle your machina?" I returned, trying to see if I could spot an oncoming attack. I felt a presence behind me, purposely moving close enough to tap its shoulder into my back. "You know, I don't know what's worse, the fact that you came here without your sword or that you actually think Bevelle would be dumb enough to go after your battalion of summoners first." Areth snickered, still hiding from me in the darkness. "Wait... you're going to go for Zanarkand without going through Gagazet? But then..." I began to say. This wasn't a good revelation. Somehow, they knew how to get to Zanarkand without getting past the summoners. If they had all their forces, all at full capacity, Zanarkand would be annihilated. I had to move through with my plan quickly. "Hey Areth, what are we gonna do with him? He can't even hurt us at this point." The guy behind me said, his voice somewhat familiar. I felt the tip of a blade pressed on my lower back. Areth finally stepped out of the shade, "Well, we're going to hurt him, that's what. I think after we're done neutralizing him, we should show him his beloved home in shambles. It'll be a wonderful sight before we kill him. Don't you think so, Kamil?" "Kamil?" I said, turning around, "Oh, so this is that look-alike I mistook you for way back when. Tell me... Kamil, how's the neck? I don't know how good the hospital care around here is." "You bastard…" He growled, poking me in my gut with his gunblade. "Mind getting that off me? I don't really have time to play right now." I said, staring at Kamil's eyes. It was rather impressive how much the two of them were alike. You could say they were twins, only Kamil didn't look half as pale and still had his natural brown hair. "Shuyin, you want to sound tough still? We've got you beaten. One move and Kamil can easily gut you. Not to mention, you don't even have your sword. How foolish of you. You want to come to enemy grounds completely unarmed? That isn't very wise." Areth laughed, steadily approaching. "Actually…" I replied, my mouth curling into a sly smirk, "I'm not the unarmed one around here." Without another thought, I went into a somersault, allowing Kamil's blade to slide gently down my waist. When my legs reached, I tightened them around his sword and kicked him in the face as I continued to move. The force behind my somersault sent the sword flying into the sky. I finished the flip and waited, Kamil's gunblade steadily coming within my grasp. "Now who's unarmed?" I said. Areth shot a few rounds at me with his own gunblade, but I just jumped, grabbed the other weapon, deflected, and landed safely back in the same spot. Kamil finally shook off my kick and lunged at me. "NO!" Areth screamed. Too late… I spun and slashed off Kamil's left arm, stopping him in his tracks. Taking one more glance at Areth, I smirked at him with his own vile expression before plunging the gunblade into Kamil's chest and firing three rounds.

"You'll pay for that…" Areth growled, approaching quickly. "I'll pay for killing your friend? At least I had the guts to kill him in front of you. At least I didn't have to call in the army to take him or the rest of your friends out. I'm not a coward. I'm not the one that left my love to be slaughtered." I told him, pushing Kamil's body to the ground. Areth looked at me, seething with rage, "Left her? I knew there was nothing I could do to protect her so I ran against my will. You had that stupid unsent with you and it took forever for Trista and I to get rid of him. It took so long that I lost all my friends in the process. No, I didn't abandon her. I just thought ahead. With you here in Bevelle, distracted by the machina ferociously attacking Zanarkand, I know I can kill you and get Trista her revenge." "You make it seem like you actually care about someone other than yourself. If that was the case, you'd know enough to care about the pain you cause." I returned, pointing the gunblade at him, "Do you have any idea how much suffering you've given my friends? Do you know how painful it was to see Damusa burnt to a crisp or Rothel spewing blood from the back of his head or… Kirin… You took them away from me…" "Oh? Well good. You deserve everything you get. You rub our faces with your stupid victories and all of that was accomplished with a cheap move. You…" Areth started. "Oh will you give that a rest? So you hate me for being successful in my profession. Boo hoo. You know, that kinda pales in comparison to killing…" I interrupted. Areth fired a round at me, a shot that was meant to be dodged, "Quiet! I wasn't finished. Not only do you taunt all the teams in blitzball, you had to make it out that you were the victim in the championship game." I looked at the man like he was a spoiled child, "I blocked my own move in that game. It hurt a lot. Besides, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I win the championship by stopping the Jecht Shot and that means you should kill my friends? That means you should attack my home? WHAT ON SPIRA IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" "No, that's why I despise you. I killed your friends because they are blind enough to think you're worthy of their friendship. The attack on the blitz stadium was out of revenge for killing my friends. Now, I'll kill you for what you did to my Trista." He said plainly. I shook with fury, "You're insane…" "If insanity is my price for seeing the light, so be it." He replied. "Wait… How did you even know we'd be playing tonight?" I asked, the thought occurring to me just then. How did they know to attack Zanarkand and near the blitz stadium on that night and not any other? It could have been a mere coincidence, but that wouldn't explain how Areth knew about it and that the attack would kill the Abes. "So you finally thought of it? Well, allow me to explain the workings of a genius. Do you remember how the Abes came to play on that day? I think you can recall someone scheduling it, am I right?" He said, smiling at what I failed to notice. Haru was the one that made the match. "Haru…" I mumbled. "Ah yes, a wonderful backup plan." Areth replied. I gasped. Haru was a traitor, too. He made the match between the Psyches and us just so Bevelle knew where we and a huge amount of people would be. I was played for a fool. "Oh Shuyin. How the mighty have fallen. I hoped I'd find some way to push you off your pedestal. How does it feel to be defeated?" The snake hissed. I felt my face curl into a hideous smirk, "Areth… I may be defeated… but I'd rather be defeated than have to go through what I'm going to do to you."

We stood separated by a few feet, staring holes into each other as we readied our swords. A moment later, we were dashing into one another, swords clashing as we finished a pass. I quickly turned and ran at Areth's back, making a stab. He moved right and spun, his blade coming close to my neck. I ducked and let it pass harmlessly overhead and made a backflip, swinging my sword in front. He blocked, the power behind my strike sending him back a few steps. I landed and shot a round at Areth once I turned. He ran and dodged it, circling me and firing his own shot. I merely slashed and deflected it, running to Areth and kicking him in the face. He grunted, but quickly ducked and jabbed a shoulder into my other leg, sending me crashing. I winced in pain and felt Areth's blade pressed against my neck. "Checkmate, I win." He sneered. I slid to my left as he stabbed, sweeping my leg to knock Areth to the ground. Both of us got to our feet almost simultaneously, our blades aimed at the throat of the other. I smiled and fired in sync with him. While I moved my head to the side to dodge, he moved his gunblade and used it as a shield, managing to deflect the bullet while making the motion. With his position in defense, I made my move, punching him in the gut and stabbing. Areth winced from the punch, but had enough left in him to strike my gunblade with his own, redirecting my stab in between his legs. He closed the gap and twisted his legs, pulling my shoulder and forcing me to release my weapon. Then, he swung horizontally with his own weapon, attempting to take off my head. I bent backward, my body going low enough for the blade to pass just over my chest. Using momentum, I sprung back after his miss and socked him in the jaw. He reeled, blood leaking from his mouth. He spit out a bit of it and wiped his mouth with his arm. "This is NOT over yet!" He assured, readying his blade again, this time in a stance similar to Takuma's. I watched as he sliced the air in front of him with the gunblade, writing the word "death" in red energy. When he finished, the word beat, almost as if it had a pulse. "DIE!" He screamed. Suddenly, fireballs rained from the sky, striking the ground all around me. I raised the gunblade above my head to block a few, but there were so many, I eventually got hit. "What hit me…" I groaned, trying to get back to my feet. "That's one of my techniques. I call it Doom." Areth snickered, the sound of his boots alerting me to his location. I jumped up and dodged a shot from hitting me in the face. Without a moment's pause, I lunged at him, ramming him with my shoulder and spinning to capitalize. My sword just missed him as he took a quick leapt back. Without hesitation, I made a cartwheel and flipped into the air, slamming the gunblade down at the ground. Areth held up his sword and blocked my Spin Cut, but it took a lot of effort on his part and he flinched. Using this to my advantage, I went low after my landing and swept Areth's legs, causing him to fall. Spinning, I went to slam my sword onto his body, but he managed to roll out of the way as I took out a chunk of the ground. I looked at my weapon and noticed it had a few cracks in it, no doubt starting from the Doom overdrive and then expanding from all the harsh attacks following. Areth got back to his feet and motioned for me to advance so I lunged at him. We clashed swords and I could see that his blade was damaged as well, though far less than mine. "You'll never win. I won't let you. Trista's death will be mitigated. I didn't spend months living in that cesspool of a city just to let you taste victory yet again. I will kill you." He said confidently. I huffed, "You already have… You killed my heart when you murdered Kirin. I won't let you take my soul." I backed off slightly and caused Areth to trip, his strength having been applied heavily against my sword. I jumped to the side and stabbed downward at Areth's shoulder, but he dodged and spun his leg around, kicking me hard in the chest. I flew to the ground and my back skidded me to a stop. A second later, I was dodging bullets again. When the bullets stopped coming, I searched around and found Areth back in his Takuma pose. I figured he was going to use his overdrive again so I ran as close to him as possible. After all, a shower of fireballs was only useful if the target isn't so close to you that your own attack will hurt you too. I was within a yard of him when I realized my miscalculation. Instead of writing that "death" word again, he held the sword close to himself, the blade pointing upward. "Zantetsuken!" He sliced the air in between us and created a blade of energy that could have struck me dead center, killing me on the spot. Luckily, I was running with my sword held in front so it took the brunt of the hit, cracking that much more. The overdrive was incredibly powerful and, even with the gunblade blocking, I was thrown a good thirteen feet. While cringing from the pain, I noticed Areth's presence drawing nearer. He was preparing to come in for the kill. "Time to die, Shuyin…" He said quietly, "I'll make sure to bury you next to Lenne if they ever find her body." Lenne… I couldn't give up on saving her. Areth had to pay for all he'd done and I still needed to save her. Slowly, I pulled myself back to my feet. "Still want to fight? Haven't you yet realized you've lost? Zanarkand will fall regardless of what the summoners do. When we've destroyed it, our next focus will be them. Rest assured, Shuyin, should they be able to defeat the machina we've sent already, Vegnagun will take care of it." Areth exclaimed. "Veg… na… gun?" I muttered, breathing heavily. "Vegnagun is Bevelle's most powerful machina. Vegnagun is our trump card just in case Zanarkand's pitiful forces can actually get past the standard army. As for you, you're nothing. Zanarkand's summoners are far more of a threat than you. Farewell…" He said, aiming his gunblade at me. "No… They aren't any of your concern… I AM THE TERROR OF ZANARKAND!" I roared. I ran at Areth and slashed his hand, forcing him to let go of his weapon. It hit the ground and snapped in two, most likely damaged from the power of the Zantetsuken. I slashed Areth again and again, each time in a different area. I hit him in the arms and the legs and across the chest a few times before deciding to end my attack. I jumped and slashed Areth down the middle, flipping to get the full effect. I made a backflip and slashed him again. Finally, I swiped him across the chest horizontally and turned my back to him. Above me, I saw something I never would have expected. Hanging there, right above both Areth and me was Kirin's blitz ball. I knew what I had to do. I plunged the gunblade into the ground and jumped on it, using it as a step for my leap. When I reached Kirin's blitz ball, I began a backflip, kicking it on my way around. The bladed blitz ball sped into Areth's face, embedding itself halfway in. When I landed, I reclaimed the gunblade and swung around, slicing off Areth's head. The gunblade shattered from the force of my attack, the shards of metal flying everywhere. After taking a breath, I stood and walked over to the fallen body and glared down at it. At long last, his wretched life was ended. Another vision occurred. This time, I saw myself in some complex, Lenne at my side. Suddenly, I heard gunfire and the both of us fell to the ground. The last thing I saw was Lenne's face, a tear escaping her eyes. I knew that I had no time to spare.

"Vegnagun, huh? I guess that's what I've been looking for." I said to him. After thinking about how I would locate the machina, I looked back at the body. "I'll be needing these." I said, pulling off his clothing. I put on the Bevelle gear, grunting from having to touch such filth let alone wear it. I walked over to Kamil's body after I was done and acquired a helmet from him. Chances were, the Bevelle soldiers wouldn't even realize who I was if I approached in a Bevelle outfit, stained with blood. I walked around for a little while and eventually came to a guard. "Hey, are you alright!" He asked me, quickly coming to my aid. I faked injury and groaned in pain, "No, those stupid Zanarkand bastards got me. It doesn't matter though. I'm supposed to guard Vegnagun so I should be okay. Nobody's stupid enough to steal that thing." The guard laughed, "Yea, I know. Well, here, let me take you to your post. Once you're there, you can relax." I nodded and he took me all the way to some building. We rode a seleva down into a military base under the city. Then, he walked me over to a room with tons of monitors and sat me down in front of them. "There. You're all set. If you need anymore help, you know what to do." He said, taking his leave. I breathed a deep breath and waited until he was gone. Looking over all the monitors, I noticed one was a view of some really big machina… Vegnagun…

I quickly removed Areth's clothing and Kamil's helmet and threw them aside, shuddering slightly at the thought that I had to wear them a few moments before. I stealthily navigated the halls and corridors, eventually finding the room I saw in the monitors...

I stared at Vegnagun…


	30. Interlude

Interlude: Death

The bullets tore through the air, bringing my attention back to the present. I couldn't dodge them this time. Lenne was right there. I couldn't just move away and let her be hit. I…

It was too late. The shots reached us. Most of them missed me… Most… I felt the searing pain as one bullet burrowed into my chest, piercing my heart. I felt the warm red fluid splatter all over my insides as the piece of metal passed, stopping at my spine. The force of the impact sent me spinning to my right. Time passed slowly, almost to prolong the torture of knowing my life was over and I had nothing to show for it. All my friends… I'd failed. Lenne… I couldn't save. I thought of all the signs I should have seen that could have stopped this moment. I recalled the events of the past year that could have saved my friends had I made a different decision. Everything was my fault. I was to blame for the death of all my loved ones.

My body fell onto cold steel. I could feel blood flooding inside of me, bubbling into my throat and threatening to escape. The pain forced me to wince while my strength continued to wane. All I could think of was that day when Lenne was told she could become a summoner. She had dreaded it initially. It wasn't until I prodded her into it that she decided to become a summoner. It was my doing that led to our deaths. Had I just accepted Lenne's decision so long ago, she would have never been a summoner and we could have easily avoided this scenario. She would be a simple songstress and I would be her blitzer boyfriend. When the war hit, we could've escaped, maybe run off to Besaid or something. It would be selfish, but I knew that I'd do it to protect her. My friends could have come, too. Rothel could have had his retirement home, living out the rest of his life in simple pleasure. Larea wouldn't stand a chance of leaving for the front with Rothel and the rest of the gang pleading with her to come with us. Kirin and Jurama would be happy together, Damusa out with the Al Bhed fixing machina or something. Kion and Vena wouldn't mind it either. Takuma wouldn't have been sent. He wouldn't have come to Besaid, but without the link to me, Areth wouldn't have wanted to come after him. Kai wouldn't have died had I gone to Besaid. He'd probably believe me to be a coward and hate me along with Areth. He'd be safe from his best friend's wrath. Meanwhile, if I was in Besaid, Areth would obviously give up on hunting me. Why would he need to seek vengeance on a defeated blitzer? The only reason Areth went this far was because I beat him at blitzball, regardless of his tactics and training and then stayed to show off my swordsmanship against his kindred. It must have tipped it for him when I started killing his people… especially since he was the son of the leader of Bevelle. Everything, everyone that suffered in my home suffered because of me. I was a plague. I didn't deserve my friends… I didn't deserve Lenne… I only gave them pain for their love.

I lay dying and I'm pouring crimson regret… and betrayal… I'd been lied to several times… The blood of my friends is as much a fault of mine as it is theirs. Yu Yevon… Areth… Haru… Trista… They cost me everything… I let them cost me everything. I should have seen it all. All the tricks and all the secrets, I could have detected and stopped them in their tracks. It was because I was too trusting, too naïve. When it came down to it, even their evils were my fault. I should have been more aware. My friends were destroyed and my home was obliterated because I was too stupid to see through their veil of lies.

Through my pain, I managed to force my eyes open ever so slightly. My vision was clouded, my brain's functions slowing as more blood drained out of my veins and onto the steel floor. I used as much of my energy as I could, finally focusing. I saw Lenne opposite me, her eyes looking back into mine. With all my will, I tried desperately to reach out to her. She had obviously been hit… "No……" I mouthed, the word never leaving my mouth. I hadn't the energy nor the breath to utter anything. With so much blood loss, I only managed to move my wrist and a couple of fingers. My vision started to cloud again. The last thing I saw before the world turned into a jumble of meaningless colors was Lenne's face, a single tear sliding down from her left eye as she tried to stretch her hand to mine. Her mouthing was moving like she was trying to tell me something, but having not the energy to say. If anything, she was trying to say that I'd failed her and she was dying because of it. What else could she have wanted to say to me?

I had no life left in me. My eyes slowly closed and darkness took me…

I can't leave yet… Lenne's trying to reach out to me… I can't die just yet… I struggled desperately to stay alive, but I knew that it was all for nothing. I was dead and there wasn't a thing in the world anyone could do about it… Lenne… I'll make them pay… I'll make them all suffer for what they've done to us Lenne. I promise you… I swear to you that our deaths, this fate, it will not be the end. Bevelle will know their mistake. I will show them no mercy…


	31. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Chapter 1 – Return to Spira

Cold… I felt cold… I didn't know why I could feel anything… I should have been in the Farplane by now… But… If I was in the Farplane, who'd fulfill my vow? Bevelle still had to pay for what they did to my home. Bevelle still had to suffer… No… Not Bevelle… They were but a small factor of evil in the world. They only brought a small measure of suffering to Spira. No… They weren't my only enemy… Somehow, I knew that I should have been thinking on a larger scale.

My eyes opened once more and I found myself in a cave, pyreflies everywhere. What was going on? I knew that I was dead. I felt my body shut down. I was unsent… Before I could pass on into the Farplane, I willed myself to stay on Spira. I still had unfinished business to attend to. I…

Gunshots? Who was firing? I looked around and saw our fallen bodies, Lenne's a mere couple of feet away from my own. I thought this had already happened… I turned around again to find Bevelle guards, aiming their gunblades at me. "NO! DON'T SHOOT!" I screamed. The shots tore through the air and through me, but I wasn't hurt. From behind me, I heard two thuds so I turned. I saw it again, our two bodies falling to the floor. "No…" I heard from my body as he desperately tried to reach Lenne. Suddenly, I felt a tremendous pain in my chest and instinctively put a hand on it. I felt a warmth from it and looked, seeing blood, my own, smeared onto my glove. "Shuyin…" I heard. The voice was soft and gentle, exuding an abundance of innocence. I raised my head and saw Kirin, back to the way she was before the attack. "Kirin!" I shouted, reaching out to touch her face. Suddenly, there was an explosion and I had to shield my eyes from the light. When I looked again, I was back in the blitz stadium, surrounded in a pool of blood, Kirin's blood. From a few feet, Kirin's body lay, destroyed and in tatters. "Rothel!" My voice screamed from behind. I turned and saw myself again, this time shaking Rothel's body violently. "Wake up. Rothel, I know you can hear me… I said WAKE UP!" I heard me command. I tried to approach myself, but just as I was about to reach, they vanished and I was in the Calm Lands, surrounded by dead bodies and smoldering machina. Looking around, I eventually saw a huge machina, its cannons aimed at a familiar looking airship. Somewhere to my left, I heard, "NO! Damu! Please get out of there…" I turned to see me again, this time, just recovering from the machina attack from earlier. I turned back, realizing what was going on and tried to catch up to the machina, but to no avail. It shot at Damusa's airship and the event occurred once more, Damu's scorched remains littering ground that was covered in other broken bodies and twisted metal. "Areth, don't do it… I've known you since we were kids. I hate seeing you like this." A familiar voice pleaded. "You hate seeing me like this? Well, you should have never betrayed your own people then! How could I ever forgive you for that Kai? No, you have to pay the consequences. Even though you're my best friend… I'm sorry, but you're betrayal must be punished." Areth said, appearing before me. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Kai who was being arrested by Bevelle guards. He turned to me, looking through my form at Areth, "One day you'll realize your fault, Areth. One day Shuyin will find out about you and he'll come after you. I'm thankful I won't be witness to it." Then, he was shot through the head. I stared angrily at Areth, "You murdering son of a…" "Bitch! You've deserted Zanarkand? How could you? Well, I don't care if the odds are against me. You have to pay for your sins." Jurama growled to my right, a bloodied dagger in his hand. Trista appeared beside Areth as the psychotic bastard cackled, "Watch how you treat my woman, mage. Her magics are far more capable than yours will ever be." Trista laughed and summoned Bahamut. "Oh no..." Jurama mumbled, "If I'm defeated, Shuyin'll have to confront Kirin about it. I can't let either of them go through that. I must win! Ultima!" With a wave, Ju trapped Bahamut in darkness and destroyed the Aeon with his most powerful spell. "Impressive, mage. However, that will not save you!" Areth exclaimed just before Holy was cast on Ju, sending numerous spheres of white magic into him. My friend screamed and collapsed, falling in the same position he was in when I found him. I glared at the two of them, laughing at my friend's death. How dare they…

Suddenly, I was in Bevelle again, back in the same room that housed Vegnagun. "You must stop! That's enough." I turned around and there she was again, my Lenne. She was looking up into the cockpit of Vegnagun, arm outstretched. The operator turned and got out of his seat, "Lenne…" I saw the guards run through me to Lenne and I saw myself jump out of the machina's cockpit and run over to her, hugging her tightly. They took aim once more and fired, killing the two of us yet again. "Stop it…" I mouthed, tears streaming down my face. I saw Lenne's face, that sad look she had before she smiled at me and accepted her fate. I saw Kirin's death again, this time as though I was being thrown with her, feeling every bit of pain she did as the missile exploded near her, sending her delicate form crashing into a wall. I saw a large chunk of rock slam into her waist soon after, embedding her bloodied body into the wall. Other charred debris fell onto her, one tearing her shoulder apart and ripping off the arm. The rock that was at her waist started to give, finally freeing Kirin's shattered remains to fall into the water below. The rock, in the meantime, fell toward two crippled people, the woman having a ring on her hand. I watched as it crushed Vena and Kion, completely helpless to save them. "Stop doing this to me… I know it's all my fault. Stop…" I mumbled, but gunfire soon stopped me. I heard two heartbreaking thuds and Lenne's body was on the cold metal floor once again. "STOP IT!" I screamed, closing my eyes as tightly as I could while covering my ears and kneeling on the ground. I kept hearing the screams of my friends that I failed and the gunshots that ended Lenne's life. I felt the torment Kirin went through when Damusa and then Jurama died. I felt the pain of Kai as he spoke with Areth, pleading with him to rescind his ways. This I continued to see, to feel, for a very long time.

Every moment, I felt this familiar anguish, but that wasn't the end of it. With each passing moment, I felt the suffering of each person living on Spira. All their hardships, big or small, I felt. It was overwhelming, the amount of pain there was on the planet. "Stop it… Please… No more…" I pleaded, not knowing who it was I was begging. It didn't stop. For years, Spira's suffering was in my mind. For decades, Lenne and I were shot in front of my eyes. For centuries, I saw the broken bodies of each of my friends, heard their cries, felt their blood on my hands. "I understand… I deserve this fate. I deserve this because I failed to save them. There is so much pain and hatred and meaningless bickering in the world, it is too much. There must be someone to cleanse it." I said, realizing the truth. All life is suffering. Every person that lives will suffer eventually. There is no true peace except oblivion. To redeem myself, I'd need to give Spira peace…

A millennium passed and I finally understood what needed to be done. Suddenly, the images and the screams stopped and I was returned to the cave. I looked down and saw two skeletons side-by-side. "Lenne?" I whispered, moving to the one on the right, "Is that you? I'm sorry I couldn't protect you so long ago. Rest assured… I realize the error of my ways. I'm going to save Spira from itself. I'm going to let us all rest in peace. I'm going to end all suffering, just you wait. All of this will be behind us one day…" I gently pressed my head onto Lenne's skull and kissed her before moving to the second body. "You stupid fool… If you'd figured this out sooner, all this could've been avoided. IMBECILE!" I shouted, kicking my skull into a pedestal near a wall, shattering it. I walked over to the pedestal and saw a sphere. "What's this?" I asked nobody, picking up the orange object and playing it. "Are they dead?" A soldier asked. Another one shot my body in the back of the head, "Well, if he was still alive, he ain't now." The rest of them laughed. "What should do with 'em?" Another asked. "Who cares? They're just trespassers. Toss 'em out in the Calm Lands with the rest of those Zanarkand bastards." The same one who shot me said. One of the soldiers from the back moved up and tapped the other on the shoulder, "Sir, I think we should dispose of their bodies in a more fitting way. That guy you just shot is Tidus of the Zanarkand Abes, a well loved athlete in blitzball. A lot of powerful people know about him and they might not help Maester Mikala and Lord Yu Yevon's plans should they discover we've killed them. They might start an uprising and completely disregard the Yevon teachings Sir Trema is trying to give them. Also, the other one is Lady Lenne, a summoner and a famous songstress from Zanarkand. I listen to a few of her songs myself. She's also very well adored in Spira." "Well, what do you suggest?" The prior said, greatly peeved at the revelation. "We've found a cave on Mushroom Rock Road. Maybe we could hide the bodies there." He suggested. "You want us to drag these carcasses all the way there? Oh… fine… If it'll help Bevelle, I'd go to the depths of the Farplane. Let's get them up and out." "Wait sir… We've got this lovely young lady, apparently very talented by what Jinva said, all to ourselves. What's the rush?" The soldier put down his gun and bent over Lenne, smiling slyly. "You're such a pervert, Gras. She's dead." The soldier named Jinva said. "Aw, you're just pissed that you didn't think of it first." Gras snickered, putting a hand on… my Lenne. I grabbed the sphere tightly, overcome by rage. With a shriek of hatred and fury, I smashed the sphere into the floor.

"Hey, what's the point of this mission anyway?" A voice asked from a distance. "Who cares? If it'll get us into the Crimson Squad, I'm all for it." Another replied. "Whoa, there's a lot of pyreflies around here." A third stated. I smelled the stench of Bevelle on their uniforms… If one of them was Gras, or in anyway related, he'd soon regret being born. I felt their emotions, mostly fear exuding from them. Quickly, I turned myself into pyreflies and wondered how I would hurt them. Almost as if listening to my thoughts, a few of the pyreflies surrounding the Bevelle rats entered their bodies. Suddenly, I saw through their eyes as well as my own. I felt their minds struggle against my will, but I was winning out. Apparently, as an unsent, I was able to possess them and make them do whatever I wished of them. Slowly, all of them were under my control. I ordered that they raise their weapons on their comrades and they did so obediently, though their minds kept trying to refuse. All at once, I forced them to fire, each body falling near the next. It was a small step, but I was learning about my new abilities as an unsent. With the power of the pyreflies at my disposal, I would be undoubtedly capable of bringing peace to Spira. "Baralai, what are you doing? Get over here." I heard yet another voice call out. "Will you two stop fooling around! It's bad enough I have to be in this dank cave." A gruff voice scolded further in the cave. I moved myself toward the voices, wondering when they'd see what I was doing. "What… what's happening to them?" The blonde said, falling to the floor. "Count me out. I don't want to join a group whose members kill each other." A tanned man with white hair stammered, gasping at the corpses that kept piling up. The one with the gruff voice chose to continue on and the blonde, most likely out of fear, followed shortly after. I could sense that the three of them were fearful, though that one of them far less than the rest. It was the one stopping closest to me, the one with the voice, and he was thinking another thought, "Why wasn't I one of them? Why do they die while I live?" I looked at him oddly, wondering why he'd ever want to trade places with one of my victims. Of course, his body might have had something to do with it. It was practically half machina. Nevertheless, it intrigued me so I decided I'd give him what he wanted and possessed all three of them. "Ah, what's that? Get away from me!" One of the others screamed. I entered his body and the blonde shouted his name when he started to notice my presence. The masochist was fighting me, but much less resistant than the other two. Once I was in possession of his body, a flood of memories and information became available to me. I found out that the Spira of today was under the leadership of a religion known as Yevon. I found that summoners were dying every ten years due to the beast named Sin. Bevelle was the capitol of all Spira and also the headquarters of Yevon's Maesters. The Spira I knew was gone and this new Spira was disgusting. Yu Yevon had made a mockery of them all. Now I understood why he wanted to create Sin so anxiously. Because of the presence of Sin, Yevon, obviously named after the bastard, was keeping his legacy alive for eternity. Bevelle was working with Yu Yevon undoubtedly because now it was the largest and most powerful city on the entire planet. So much treachery, I knew I had to put an end to it.

When I was done looking through the information, I realized that the three I'd possessed were pointing their weapons into the next, ready to fire, however hard their minds were crying for their bodies to stop. "Stop it!" A female voice interrupted, the moment they started to pull the trigger. I knew that if I was to do anything on Spira, I'd need a body so I released them from my control, leaving a part of my essence dormant in the death-seeker. We ran out of the cave and were greeted by strange looking guards, most likely Bevelle's new Yevon-based army. The three of them conversed with the soldiers about me or at least what would have been me had they known. Suddenly, after they'd received word that they'd made it into that Crimson clan or whatever, there was some gunfire. I didn't really care what was going on. Should the death-seeker get what he wanted, I'd merely possess another body. I noticed a bullet approach the body I was in and I prepared to jump, but some woman in black leather tackled him to the ground, saving him from death. The three men, now accompanied by this woman, ran for their lives, eventually reaching a tent of some kind. The woman apologized for saving the man and then the four spoke of their future, seeing as how they had none with Bevelle. It was rather boring so I started looking into names and faces so I wouldn't sound strange once I actually took over the death-seeker's body. I found his name to be Nooj. He also had a love interest named LeBlanc. She was this blonde girl who, through Nooj's memories, I found to be a complete ditz. In any case, the one with the white hair was Baralai and the blonde Al Bhed with the eye patch was Gippal. He had been the one that prodded Baralai into coming deeper into the cave. "Your work is done. Why are you still recording?" I heard Nooj say to the woman, putting a gentle hand on the sphere. That woman, the one that saved Nooj's life, was Paine, or Dr. P as was her nickname given to her by the Al Bhed. In any case, currently, the known summoners of some pilgrimage to defeat Sin were Yuna, Dona, and Isaaru. Isaaru and Dona were nothing too special, but this Yuna, named obviously after Yunalesca, was the daughter of Braska, the summoner who'd defeated Sin ten years earlier. I remembered this Braska. During my time in the cave when I was still unable to control the pain, I felt Braska's worry for his daughter. When he summoned his Final Aeon, the fayth being some fake version of my father, he was killed, a combination of overwhelming stress from the summoning and possession by a parasite… Yu Yevon. His last thoughts were what would become of her daughter and if he'd succeeded in stopping Sin's wrath. It was a very naïve thought. Of course, from what Nooj knew of Yevon, they wouldn't have known otherwise. The Maesters of Yevon were Seymour, Mika, Kelk, and Kinoc. Seymour was a half guado, Mika was some old man, Kelk was a ronso, and Kinoc was some fat man wearing yellow. That Mika made me feel uneasy. Something told me that I knew of him. I decided not to let it bother me and returned my attention to Nooj. He was walking away from Paine and Baralai and Gippal, apparently deciding on going their separate ways. I didn't know what my purpose was, but I felt that I couldn't let them go. Quickly, I made Nooj turn back at the two while taking out his gun. I fired two shots, each bullet hitting its mark. The first hit Baralai in the back, alerting Gippal who turned to meet my second shot. The woman was apparently recording the entire thing so I focused on her next. "I told you your work is done!" I noticed Nooj say to her, his stupid attempt at warning her about my actions. I fired one round at the girl and she went down, "Nooj, I'm in control now. Do not attempt to defy me again." I told him through his thoughts. "Who are you?" He asked me, fear consuming him. "Who am I? I'm the one that will purge Spira of its pain." I told him, shutting out his mind so that I could move his body as my own.

I realized that even as an unsent and even with this body, I'd still need some more support. I needed to retrieve my sword. If a thousand years hadn't totally corroded the metal, it would still be of some use to me. After all, it was my sword, a gift from Takuma. No doubt I'd be able to wield it as well as I used to. First, I tried to find a hoverglyph. "Where's your hoverglyph? Where's anybody's hoverglyph? Why aren't there any hoverglyphs?" I started yelling in his mind, scanning his thoughts until I found that his method of transportation was either walking or by chocobo. I gasped at the future of my planet, "What have you guys done to Spira? What happened to the pretty technology? Please tell me you still have airships. Oh thank the stars you still do!" This was insane. Yu Yevon really didn't lie when he said that he'd abolish all machina. In any case, I found a… chocobo… and rode off awkwardly toward Mt. Gagazet. Thankfully, the chocobos of this Spira were a lot healthier than the wild ones I used to know. Well, from the armor, these chocobos were bred for battle, something I found quite amusing. "You ride chickens into battle. This Spira has some measure of entertainment. At least, while I'm trying to redeem myself to face my friends again, I won't be bored." I mused at Nooj, his aura seemingly dimmed, "What? Thinking about LeBlanc? Don't worry. It's not like I'm after her or anything. I'm only after the total destruction of Spira." "You're mad… I thought seeking my own death would raise some eyebrows, but this. Why would you desire the destruction of Spira?" He asked me. "Life is spent suffering. What's the point in living if there's no guarantee you can ever be happy? I learned my mistake and it took me a thousand years of bearing the scars of Spira. Enough is enough. I don't want anymore people to suffer so I'll bring Spira sweet oblivion, an eternal slumber." I forced him into the darkest recess of his mind and waited until I arrived on Gagazet. I rode quickly up to the area I'd buried Kirin, bypassing the ronso. Galte was obviously not amongst them so why bother talking to his descendents? When I reached the gravesite, I gasped. Firstly, the back wall had some strange marking stuff on it and it was glowing. From what I could gather, it was something called "Master Summon" or something. For now, it meant nothing to me, but what really horrified me was the phantasm in front of it. There was some sort of pillar of water extending into the clouds. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wasn't real. Also, from what I could sense, there was life… artificial as it was, coming from it. Regardless, it was projected from where I'd left Kirin's body. Without a second thought, I released a few pyreflies into it, first to find Kirin's body and second to retrieve my sword. A few moments passed and I couldn't find anything. Then, my mind began to view Zanarkand, completely resurrected and bursting with life. It was the artificial life from the water, an illusion of my former home. I cursed under my breath, the treachery of Yu Yevon. He'd most likely be the culprit behind this monstrosity. After a few more moments, I located Kirin's body, completely restored and with the same youthful visage from my time. It brought tears to my eyes that she'd been healed, at least in a physical sense. I hated seeing her body the way I'd buried it. It was probably the only thing Yu Yevon would get my approval for. Keeping my sight on Kirin, I quietly whispered, "You used to captivate me by your resonating light. Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind." I hope you're at peace, Kirin…

Soon after, I found my sword and made the pyreflies return it to my hand. As I examined my weapon, I noticed that it was in horrendous condition, no doubt from being out in the harsh weather of Gagazet for so long. Whatever the condition though, I could still wield the glowing blue blade so I absorbed it into my being and returned to the chocobo. "You know, I might want to have a little more fun with Spira first. After all, Yu Yevon's still around. I think I might as well make his life a living nightmare like the way he made my death. Yes, I think that I should revolt against Yevon. I'll have to pick my moment to strike wisely or I'd be labeled a heretic… well, you would be labeled a heretic and die and all. That wouldn't be beneficial to either of us, yet." I told him, "Hmm, Maester Nooj… No that's pathetic… How about… Yevon Nooj! No that's even worse… I know! How about Mevyn Nooj? Doesn't that make you important, oh great _captain_. Yes, You'll be the Mevyn of the… Nooj fighters? No, corny. How about… the Youth Group! No, group has to go… Faction, regime, cult… League, Youth League. Perfect! You'll be Mevyn Nooj, leader of the Youth League. It'll tell the masses of the evils of Yevon. We'll hunt for spheres of the past, like this one." I held out one of the spheres I'd found in the cave before the four of the Crimson things left. "Why are you doing this to me?" He asked quietly. "Why? I'm doing this because Yu Yevon screwed me over and cost me my life. I'm doing this because Bevelle's a city of assholes and I'm going to teach them a lesson. I'm doing this to test Spira. If you pass, I might consider sparing you all from my wrath. If you fail, _Yevon_ have mercy on your souls." I told him, explaining to him the method of my madness.

I created this group of mine once I received word from a crusader that Yuna and her guardians had rid Spira of Sin forever. My revenge on Yu Yevon had been halted, but it didn't really matter. With Yuna surviving her encounter with Sin, I heard from people that Yevon had marked her a traitor and that Bevelle was loaded with machina. She helped me incredibly with my plans, turning the holy name of Yevon into ape shit. I initiated my scheme, my test of Spira and it two me two years to set up. Most of my members were former members of the Crusaders. Also, the summoner Dona was amongst my ranks. I could feel that all of them felt the seething betrayal of Yevon and wanted nothing more than to see it burn. However, as per my plan, Yevon stuck around with its _New_ Yevon and there was much conflict. If things got to be as bad as they had been in my past, I'd know enough to move through with my plans to destroy Spira. Tick tock Spira… Show me your true colors.

A week after the two year mark and I found myself at Guadosalam, my home outside of the Youth League. Nooj um… liked visiting LeBlanc, though his purpose may have been more than merely wowing the ditz. Somehow, I felt he knew I was still a virgin because he made sure that whenever he was with her, they'd… well, do that thing… In any case, that was his business so I'd usually allow him control of his body at those times. However, one day, LeBlanc actually refused Nooj, saying something about a big day and having some garment grid or whatever. She left in a hurry and I was left alone in the former home of Maester Seymour. I watched the actions of my Youth League members and laughed as they did exactly what I figured they would, Nooj realizing that my gamble on destroying Spira being well coordinated. About an hour later, I sensed a familiar presence, though not anywhere close-by. I'd know that presence anywhere; it was my Lenne. Focusing, I could hear her singing Real Emotion somewhere, but it seemed like someone else was dancing for her. Apparently she'd possessed a body, as well. I'd have to locate her and tell her of my plan. I needed her to forgive me, but that would only happen if she knew I was still trying to make up for my mistakes.

A few days passed and I was expected to make a speech for my League members at Kilika. With the two years that passed, I found myself an airship, though the design was nowhere near as good as Damu's and the Al Bhed's from the past. In any case, the crew flew me to Kilika and I greeted the people, "Greetings, friends! An important sphere is hidden in Kilika Temple, a sphere documenting the true history of Spira. We are here today to demand that New Yevon make the contents of that sphere public. Yet, as always, the voice seeking truth goes ignored. My friends, I ask you: Why? Because New Yevon wants to hide the truth!" Impressive, aren't I? "Just as the temples did before them! I tell you now, this has gone on long enough! My friends, stand with me and together we will bring the truth back to the people." I finished off, moving towards Kilika's temple as the crowd cheered. I could sense Lenne amongst the crowd, but her essence was faint. As I scanned, Nooj took advantage of my distraction and added, "But… let's not overdo it. Our opponents aren't as young as they used to be." The crowd laughed much to my expectation. They believed Nooj to be joking. I knew that he was afraid of what I wanted, however little he actually knew about it. Yuna… the high summoner was exuding the faint presence of Lenne. I could sense that she was a little full of herself at the moment, wanting to take the sphere from both sects. If she wanted the sphere, she could have it. All I needed was to come into contact with her, even once, just to tell Lenne that I'm still trying to avenge her and the rest of my friends. Soon Lenne, I'll fix all this soon…


	32. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Chapter 2: The Workings of a Madman

About one day passed me by when suddenly, Yuna reappeared again, this time, walking with her Sphere Hunting group to my office in Mushroom Rock Road. Yes, I had chosen to set up camp near the site of my rebirth. Perhaps it was sentiment. Perhaps it was fate. Perhaps… I just looked on a map, blindly pointed somewhere, and wouldn't you know it, Mushroom Rock Road. Anyway, Paine was there with them. Nooj made sure I noticed that. In fact, Nooj almost noticed that from Kilika, though I didn't care for small talk with that girl so I blocked him out and kept moving. This time, they were coming directly to meet me so Nooj's feelings got the better of me. I smirked at my handiwork. I could sense that Paine had changed. She'd grown colder, darker than she had been two years ago. The whole time she kept thinking it was Nooj and not I that shot her and the other two.

"We'd like to give you the sphere that you were looking for. Now that you have this, you can stop the fighting in Kilika." Yuna said. I looked at her and took the sphere, happy that Lenne was so near, "How generous… and how sudden. Maybe you should start by introducing yourself, High Summ…" "We're the Gullwings!" Some Al Bhed girl exclaimed, cutting me off. "I see; sphere hunters. In that case, I gratefully accept the sphere you have brought. On behalf of the Youth League, I thank you. Everyone, three cheers for the Gullwings." I made Nooj say to the League, laughing at it from inside his mind.

We entered my office where I waved for the three of them to sit. "So did you watch it?" I asked them. The blonde one didn't understand so I clarified, "The sphere." She seemed to start choking up on her words, obviously intimidated by me. "We did." Yuna answered, bringing my attention back to her. Nooj told her to forget, though I could care less what she did. She said that she wasn't able to and Paine ended up defending her against me. "Some advice: That… thing… The colossus you saw is known as Vegnagun. It possesses overwhelming destructive power. It must not be touched! Yet those Yevon fools think they can control it. The Youth League will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not get a chance to try. Trust me, you don't want to get involved." I told them, having seen the sphere from merely touching it. Being an unsent did have its perks. I could practically feel the mindframe of every person in the room and I could view spheres, etc. Paine loathed me, though, she seemed to still have some love for Nooj. I could tell that by just looking at her. "Tell me… Who was the man I saw in the sphere?" Yuna asked, returning my attention. I realized she was talking about me. The sphere had shown my first and last words to Vegnagun so she also knew about Lenne, though very little. "I cannot say." I ultimately told her. I couldn't let anyone else know about me. Only Yuna bore Lenne's spirit so only she could be told what I was to do. Besides, it would make a fine slurpie out of her brain when I start telling her of my plans. She seemed disappointed, but that couldn't be helped. Hopefully, it was only this summoner who was upset and not Lenne. I'd hate to hide things from her again.

Not a moment later, some other Al Bhed ran in about something and the three women left in a rush. Whatever was going on with them, it had nothing to do with me so I just left it. I returned to ordering my members, sending a few units to go off and cause trouble for New Yevon or just make life harder for the rest of Spira. They were my loyal minions, mindless except for the desire to defeat the order of Yevon. Now, with the Gullwings practically on our side, it'd be a lot easier to talk to Lenne. My plans were coming together nicely.

Later in the day, I decided to be a little nostalgic and visit the Den of Woe, as it was now called. After the incident from two years ago, where I first possessed Nooj, Bevelle had made it appoint to seal the cave with some highly advanced door. The sphere I was holding seemed to deactivate one of the locks on the door. I pondered the significance of the sphere in my hand before realizing that I had company. "Is something the matter?" Yuna asked from behind me. "Oh, it's you." I wasn't sure if it was a blessing that she had come to me so soon, but I decided that, if anything, I'd be close to Lenne's presence again, "As you can see, this place has been sealed. But just this one isn't enough." I held out the sphere for them to see. Yuna seemed to have given up, but the Al Bhed girl… what was it about her anyway… egged her on. "Oh, I know! Why don't you let the Gullwings take on this mission?" Yuna replied. I looked at them quizzically, especially the Al Bhed, "You'll find the other spheres?" "On my honor as a sphere hunter! Of course, we won't do it for free…" She responded. "Very well… I leave it in your hands. Here, hold onto this sphere." I told them, walking over to Paine. The Al Bhed thought I was giving it to her and in her overzealous way, she thanked me much too soon. Actually, I would have given it to her, to get a good look at her. However, Nooj got the better of me and I gave in, allowing him to speak his peace to Paine, "Perhaps this is fate?" She looked at him cynically, "I don't think so." "Okay that's enough Nooj. Walk." I told him through his mind, forcing him to leave the girl behind. As I left, I could hear them conversing about unimportant matters. That one day in Paine's life was so close to her heart. It was just like the last day of my life. You're welcome for the gift, m'lady…

I decided I wouldn't return to my office for the rest of the day. Instead, I took my leave and went back to LeBlanc's home in Guadosalam. Something told me that Nooj would need some healing. LeBlanc was practically only good for that. I boarded my airship and had it send me to Guadosalam. Wearily, I walked the sloping trails to the "Chateau." "Nooj, you owe me for this." I told him. "I don't understand you at all. Cold hearted, a true demon of sorts, yet you have sympathy, compassion? What's happened to you?" He asked me. "Believe me… If I showed you… It'd make you just as crazy as I am… Maybe worse." I replied, knocking on the door. "Who is it?" The irritating voice called from the other side. "It's me, open up." I grunted, surprisingly sounding no different than when Nooj actually spoke to her. She squealed with delight, "Oh my Noojie's come to visit me! How are you, love?" I decided it was time to let Nooj take over so I released my control over him. I could tell he cared about LeBlanc in much the same manner that he cared about Paine. After all, if he really didn't care about either one, he wouldn't have let these little spasms of control go unused. It was out of fear that I would harm LeBlanc that he kept the charade of being himself. "I've had an exhausting day." He said plainly, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and pulling her to their usual spot. You'd think seeing Kirin nude and being the friend of the biggest playboy in all of Zanarkand would make me feel any less nauseous about what they did to each other, but I found myself cringing from each moan and scream they made. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I died a virgin with Lenne. Some experiences, you just don't want… and I'm over a thousand years old.

After Nooj was done with his… business… he made a bit a small talk with her before deciding it was time to go. The whole time, I'd been taking a breather. It was a lot easier to have two minds control one body. Whenever I let him take over, I could simply relax and put my mind on more pleasant things like destroying Spira to bring forth eternal calm. "Oh Noojie! I have something to show you before you go." LeBlanc said, forcing me to redirect my focus to her. "What is it?" Nooj asked her. She brought out this cracked sphere and somehow got it to play. I watched it along with Nooj, seeing the beast Vegnagun, locked up in the same place I found it before, the underground labyrinth of Bevelle. Nooj smiled and gazed at LeBlanc's eyes, "Thank you, LeBlanc." "Anything for you, love." She returned, swooning over him. "Now I finally know the location of Vegnagun. Spira is in for a rough ride. Take care." He told her leaving quickly. I could sense Lenne nearby, but decided to let Yuna and her brat pack play out their plan with the blonde ditz. "Why'd you thank LeBlanc? I could've told you where Vegnagun was." I said to him mentally. He didn't answer. "Oh… Well, just know this: If you go to Bevelle, regardless of if I was planning on using it now or later, you give me a gift and I'll use it." I told him sadistically, laughing at him for thinking he could outsmart me. I felt him grunt, "I'll never let you use Vegnagun. You probably don't know this but I saw it inside that cave. When you possessed me, I saw it with my own eyes and I'll be damned before I let you go through with this madness of yours." I said nothing and only smirked from the recesses of his mind.

Nooj figured going to Bevelle could mean he'd be able to dismantle Vegnagun. Not only was he kidding himself, he was playing right into my hands. The only reason I hadn't gone to take that machina sooner was because of that wager I made before, the one about whether or not Spira could remain at peace. Although I had already seen that it couldn't, I wanted to play it out, watch those imbeciles destroy themselves once again. Spira had yet to change and I was far too exhausted to wait any longer for them to realize their mistake. Thank you Nooj… You're realizing my mission for me.

"Hey Nooj, why don't you say hi to Baralai? I'm sure he'd love to say something to you, as well." I jeered the cripple. He ignored me, but I could sense that he was seething with anger and guilt. We kept moving and eventually, I felt the tanned one's presence, "Now's your chance. Say, 'how did you like the bullet? Does that feel the same as being stabbed in the back?' I wonder what he'd say to that. C'mon, try it." Nooj hid behind a wall so I appeased him. Quickly, I sent a few pyreflies out of Nooj's body and blinded Baralai, making him unaware of our presence. "Are you happy now? C'mon, hurry up. Get over to Vegnagun and beat it up. Throw your cane at it." I mused. The funny thing was, I think Nooj believed that he was in control of his body again. He actually thought that he was suppressing me or something and that I wasn't really just letting him make a fool out of himself. He navigated the corridors slowly, the machina leg stowing his progression. At last, he reached the entrance of the underground, after walking through the halls of the Bevelle Temple. "Where's the entrance?" Nooj asked out loud, staring at the rock that I found out to be the housing of the fayth of Bevelle's Temple. "You want an entrance? I'll give you an entrance." I told him, releasing a few pyreflies into the rock. They were projected into the Farplane where I saw a little boy in purple robes and hood. "What? Who are you?" It said. I felt the boy's power. He was the fayth that could summon Bahamut. What's more, the Bahamut his mind showed me was none other than a copy of Lenne's Bahamut. This fayth was an imitation, a citizen of Zanarkand who was turned into a fayth by Yu Yevon. I possessed him, returning to Nooj after I did so. "Here's your entrance." I told him, directing his gaze at the large hole I'd made by digging my pyreflies into it. "Why are you helping me?" He asked, unbeknownst to the fact that he was walking into my trap. Without another thought, he jumped into the hole, landing in a heap as his leg gave from the impact. When he shook the daze from his eyes, he wowed at the massive underground of Bevelle. I nudged him mentally to keep walking and so he did. When he eventually reached Vegnagun, I laughed, "Now Nooj, tell me how you'll destroy this." Foolishly, he took out his gun and fired at it, the bullet easily deflected off the machina's steel body. I laughed wildly, "Brilliant attempt Nooj. That was quite a show!" Suddenly, the beast awoke, firing lasers at its assailant. I put up a shield of pyreflies and saved Nooj from death, snickering at the fact that he had been robbed of his dream again.

A little bit later, I sensed the presence of my Lenne again. Yuna had come to Bevelle, no doubt ignoring my words to her earlier. From the pyreflies I left with Baralai, I watched their progression. "The Gullwings? I was wondering who was there." Baralai said upon seeing them. The girls just stared at him. "You don't have to tell me. I know why you've come. You're here to destroy the weapon that threatens all Spira: Vegnagun. Am I right? If it could be destroyed we would have done so long ago. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that." He told them. Who did that moron think he was kidding? Destroy it long ago? Hah! They'd keep it for eternity if it could be used to keep Spira on its knees. "Though, your friend does have a point. You can't destroy it you idiot. In fact, you've really helped in my quest. I mean, I didn't even have to force you here; you came all on your own and now I'm staring into the eyes of victory." I laughed. "You talked to Nooj?" Paine asked Baralai, bringing my attention back to their meaningless conversation. "He… cannot be trusted." "No shit he can't be trusted! I'm him!" I laughed inside Nooj's defeated head. "And you can be?" The Al Bhed girl said. "Touché. Yes, I suppose Yevon has brought that distrust upon itself. At any rate, you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me." Baralai replied. It was funny that Spira was like this. Even my speeches had been about unity in Spira, but with this much distrust and the forming of so many sects, where was this unity? "What are you planning to do?" Yuna asked. Baralai readied his staff and I knew they'd start fighting soon. While they fought, I'd seize Vegnagun for myself. I unsheathed my sword, obviously scaring Nooj in the process. "Where'd that come from?" He asked me. I shook my/his head and threw the sword, destroying the bindings of Vegnagun and having the machina fall into the chasm of the underground. The hole extended to the Farplane, probably to connect that rock thing from before with the fayth. "Sorry, I'm going on ahead." Paine said, running in my direction. I jumped into the hole and controlled the fayth boy I'd possessed from before. "Let's see if these three women are capable of handling you, Bahamut. Hey, maybe Lenne might be hinted to what's happening." I told the boy. Struggling against me, he tried desperately not to call forth the Aeon. Ultimately though, Bahamut greeted the girls, opening its wings and glaring at them.

"No way…" The Al Bhed girl stammered, backing away from my creature. "What is it?" Paine asked. What is it? You stupid stupid girl. It's a freaking Aeon, that's what it is. The blonde yelped, "It's an Aeon!" And you win the booby prize, smart one. Yuna stared in shock, something I was glad about, "An Aeon…" Yes, Lenne… It's your Aeon. It's your Bahamut. Please remember. Yuna walked up a few steps and extended her arms as if her presence would stop Bahamut's assault, "You must stop!" Paine immediately rushed in front of Yuna, her sword held out protectively, "You wanna get killed? We have no choice!" Perhaps Lenne didn't realize the Aeon was modeled after hers. It didn't matter. For now, I'd just watch them fight. If they succeeded in defeating the Aeon, kudos to them. If not, I'd call off Bahamut before it could do any harm to Yuna anyway. She housed the essence of my Lenne like Nooj did for me. The two of them could not be harmed until I was done with them.

Each of them activated something and their clothes changed. The blonde one looked like a traditional White Mage, a pretty cute outfit as it was too large for the girl. Paine turned into this deformed knight with a weird looking sword and Yuna changed into an outfit I thought I'd never see again. Lenne… I felt a surge of Lenne's spirit and focused on it, not ever wanting to let it go. It completely consumed me and I forgot all about the battle. Yuna used a few dances that I remembered Lenne using to cast various detriments on the fiends of the past. It was wonderful how much of my love I could feel. It was like we were alive again, having the time of our lives back in Zanarkand. The first time I actually returned to the battle, I saw that Bahamut was using his MegaFlare. "NO!" I screamed at the Aeon, controlling so that the MegaFlare, though it would hit, would do barely any damage to Lenne's group. Soon after, they beat the Aeon, Yuna returning to her former Gunner look. "Why is this happening? I wish you were here with me." She said, having lost her strength and looking at the pyreflies while kneeling. You? Who was you? Did Yuna have someone she lost, as well? She did ask about me in that sphere. Maybe the one she lost looked like me or something. I could feel her pain as she continued to look at the pyreflies. That man meant the world to her. He was as important to her as Lenne was to me. More suffering… Don't worry, I'll soon put a stop to that.

"Thank you Paine. You were right. We had to fight it, didn't we?" Yuna said to the stoic woman. A few moments later, "Nothing…" The blonde stared at the empty space where Vegnagun had been. "This hole was made recently." Yuna said. Actually, Bevelle made it over a thousand years ago. I just made it a little bigger by chucking a machina at it. "You think it was Vegnagun? Unreal… How deep do you think it goes?" The blonde asked, wowing at the hole. Hey, nice guess little girl. How deep? How about center of the planet deep. That good enough for you? "Hey Nooj, what do you say we make more of a mess up there?" I asked him while we walked around the Farplane. "Why ask me? Just do whatever you're going to do. I can't stop you." He answered. "Ah, so you're learning. That's good." I mused.

Suddenly, more fayth appeared before me. "Why are you doing this? What's your goal?" One asked. "Do you really hate Spira that much?" Another asked me. I laughed through Nooj, "You know nothing of what I'm doing. You simpletons, I'm bringing the true Eternal Calm to Spira. It will be a solemn peace, one with no suffering… ever." "You are insane. What can this plan of yours hope to accomplish if not the death of every living soul on the planet?" A third exclaimed. "Stupid, that's exactly what I want to accomplish. Now, be useful and go back to your temples. I have work that needs to be done." I told them, sending my essence into each of them. They tried to resist, but as with everyone, they eventually became my slaves. I sent them back to the temples they used to reside over. They summoned their Aeons and broke through to the surface, the immense fear and desperation they felt creating imbalances in their pyreflies and creating a massive amount of fiends in their wake. What will you do now, Spira? Bicker about how your temples are corrupted with the filth of fiends? Who will you blame?


	33. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Chapter 3: Crisis at the Temples; Spira in Peril

Each of the Aeons created a base of sorts within their respective temples. Whoever was currently visiting either was killed, injured, or scared out of their wits. The lucky ones ran for their lives. Those that couldn't escape helped make my goal easier by dying. I watched on in the Farplane as my minions terrorized the planet, creating even more mass panic than the mere disappearance of Nooj, Mevyn of the Youth League. It was funny how dependant my faction had become on me. Without my, well, Nooj's presence and support, the Youth League was in chaos, making outlandish statements against New Yevon about things that wouldn't make any sense anyway. Also, from the probes that the Youth League set up all around Spira allowed me to see as well as feel the actions of everyone everywhere. Apparently, both Gippal of the Machine Faction and Baralai of New Yevon had disappeared, too. "Hey Nooj, what do you think this means?" I asked him. He didn't answer me, his thoughts hanging on memories of his old friends and on LeBlanc. "You know… if you want to see her, I can show you." I told him. "You'd let me see LeBlanc?" He asked me. I smiled slyly, "Is that really who you're worried about right now?" He shook his head slowly, realizing that I knew full well that he was still hoping that Paine would forgive him. It was true he loved that blonde, but Paine was practically his version of Kirin. "I just wanted to die. Why can't anyone just understand that and let me be?" He started mumbling to himself. "Paine cares about you, that's why. People care about life. I used to care about life. I realize now that life's nothing but prolonged suffering. Death should be the ultimate peace, but that isn't the case for me. Vegnagun will change all of that. There will be no more Farplane, no more Spira. The pyreflies that created all of us will scatter to the farthest corners of the universe and we will all sleep in peaceful oblivion. Don't worry about not being able to die like you wanted. I promise you that you'll have it soon enough." I told him.

Lenne's presence was in the Calm Lands. Yuna's group had arrived to help out the public. They'd come to fight my Aeon. I signaled for Yojimbo to ready itself for battle. Trista's Aeon had apparently been copied by yet another of Zanarkand's people. I would soon find out just how efficient this Zanarkand Aeon was. Yuna's group defeated each of the splintered fiends, arriving at the Chamber of Fayth as it was called. "Please tell me! Why is this happening?" Yuna cried, obviously distressed that Aeons were returned to Spira. One by one, the three of them changed outfits. Yuna changed into something that Kirin would have loved to wear. Actually, wasn't the blonde girl always wearing something like that? What was it about that Al Bhed? Well, whatever it was, I didn't have time to lose my train of thought. That girl got on some weird looking jumpsuit thing and wielded that fat gun thing. The last of them, Paine, got on the same suit of armor as before. Yuna and Paine attacked Yojimbo head on, Paine slashing with her sword while Yuna stabbed with daggers… Daggers… The blonde usually had those daggers, too… Yojimbo was sent back a few feet, his footing having been lost thanks to my being distracted. "Yojimbo, just use Wakizashi or something!" I commanded, trying to remember what Trista used to say to her Aeon. Yojimbo complied, taking out one of its shorter weapons and making a quick slash. Paine was sent flying, the sword in her hand stabbing into the ground as she lost her grip on it. Suddenly, a blast came from afar, some sort of grenade or something. Wait, Kirin used to use grenades and other explosive devices. "Yojimbo! Zanmato!" I commanded, remembering what Trista always yelled at the Aeon about. It obeyed, creating the well crafted sword and slashing at the three with it. All three of them fell to their knees, gasping for breath. I huffed, they were rather weak. The last time I encountered Zanmato, it didn't take too much out of me. Quickly, the blonde shot Yuna and Paine with her weapon. I stared, confused at why she'd betray them. Then she shot herself and I figured she must have decided that death was better than going through another Zanmato. I kept watching, expecting that they would collapse anytime now, but they didn't. Actually, Paine stood and retrieved her sword. All three seemed to be fully healed, all their stamina returned to them. "What was that?" I asked no one, shocked at the healing weapon, "Yojimbo! Another Zan…" But it was too late. Paine changed again, her new outfit looking like a massive collection of blades. She charged at the Aeon and sent her blades at it, almost instantly shredding the samurai and bringing it to its knees. Yojimbo scattered into pyreflies like Bahamut had before it as I continued to stare in astonishment. "Hello!" The blonde yelled, having returned to her normal state. "Careful, someone might answer." Paine cautioned. Yea, someone like me. Okay you three. You win round one. Let's see how long this will last.

"Hey fiends! You messin' around here and you're gonna pay, ya?" Some tall red-haired man shouted in the Besaid Temple, taking out a few of the critters that the Valefor fayth created upon ascent. It had been an hour or two since Yojimbo's defeat. I watched on, amusing myself with the futile attempts of this one lone hero. He reached the Cloister of Trials area and kept fighting. Soon enough though, the odds became too much for him. After taking out the last fiend in the area, he collapsed against a wall, gasping for breath. Meanwhile, in Kilika, some other guy, a rather muscular brute, was fending off a few Daeva fiends in that temple. He was actually doing alright, one on one. I commanded the Ifrit fayth to send a few other Daevas at him. Rest assured, he didn't last very long after that. I decided to have some pity for the man and called off the attack, allowing the man to drop to the floor, unconscious.

"Wakka!" Yuna yelled, rushing to the side of the red-haired man. The Al Bhed girl asked if he was alright and he merely replied that he wasn't injured severely. I had seen the entire fight and I knew that he was shading the truth like I had always done, to keep others from worrying about me. "There are too many. Let's get out while we can. The man was right; we have to use fire." Paine said. They wanted to burn the temple? "Whatever's controlling the fiends must be down there. Take that bad boy out." Wakka told the three. It was impressive. Where ever there was a problem, Yuna always seemed to be there. Was it Lenne's compassion motivating her or was she just as selfless as Lenne had been? "And we won't need fire." Yuna said to Paine, bringing my attention back to the situation at hand. The silver-haired swordswoman complied and the three left Wakka to enter the Chamber of the Fayth. However, the man wouldn't give in. Once the girls had found Valefor, he arrived again, gaping at the Aeon in front of his eyes. I was expecting him to be as clueless as Paine, but surprisingly, "An Aeon?" He knew what it was. "No… something's not right…" Yuna muttered, seeming to be confused. The blonde quickly turned to the red head, "Wakka, stay back! It's not safe!" I became a little bored of this so I ordered Valefor to attack. It gave them no time to change outfits so they remained in standard gear. Yuna took out two pistols and fired multiple rounds at the Aeon, barely phasing it. Paine lunged at it with her broadsword, but it merely flew toward the ceiling and dodged. "Valefor, go for a Sonic Wings." I told it. Quickly, it flapped, sending a strong gust of wind at the girls, sending them into the walls. The red-head threw his blitz ball at it, but it was no use. Why would anyone throw a blitz ball at something like that anyway? In any case, I had Valefor use Energy Blast. It flew as close to the ceiling as possible and started to charge it's attack. Suddenly, Paine got to her feet and threw her sword at the wing of the Aeon and sent it spiraling to the floor, the stored energy of its overdrive scattering all over the walls of the chamber. These girls weren't to be trifled with… at least not unless they took me on themselves. Taking advantage, the Al Bhed jumped on the fallen bird and stabbed it in the throat with her daggers. Valefor exploded into a wave of pyreflies all around her. All of a sudden, I was taken back to the Calm Lands, watching Kirin stab the chimera fiend that housed the fayth of Elumina, Lenne's ultimate Aeon. "Kirin?" I said, taking a closer look. Instead of her, I saw that Al Bhed again. I guess I still missed my friends a little more than I thought. "That was my first Aeon." Yuna said as she watched the pyreflies. Paine huffed to show her apathy as Yuna continued, "I grew up here in Besaid. This is my home. I became a summoner here… I have to protect this place." Hmm, guess the temple meant something to her. Of course, for anyone who'd believe that she needed to preserve this place due to it being her first temple, they aren't very perceptive. What was so important about that man to her anyway? She stopped Sin. I doubt she failed him like I did my friends.

About a half hour later, Yuna's group was in the Kilika Temple. I admired her persistence. It reminded me of how we fought Bevelle so long ago, never faltering in our resolve. The three of them defeated the Daevas and went to wake the large man that had been knocked out from before. "Barthello?" The blonde girl said, waking the man. They started conversing about things I cared nothing for, something about that Dona woman and protecting her and such. As much as I thought the same way as Barthello about his role with his love, I already knew that there wasn't a way to protect my love forever. Sooner or later, something would happen and valiant as one could be he would fail. For me, Areth and the war did me in. They eventually left the man and proceeded to Ifrit. I stopped caring about these fights, knowing full well what the outcome would be. Sure enough, they defeated Ifrit and started examining the hole that it had created when I sent it to the temple. I stopped caring, as I was then contacted by Baralai, much to my surprise. "Nooj, this is Baralai. Come to Bevelle now!" He shouted at me. "Fine. It's about time we had a reunion." I replied, turning off the com and projecting Nooj's body back to the surface, back to Bevelle. Also, at the same time, I opened up a warp in the Farplane, sending Vegnagun to its core, lying in wait for my return.

In Bevelle, I waited for a few minutes before Baralai showed up. "So, what's up?" I asked him plainly. "Not until Gippal arrives." He said to me rudely, eyeing me while cautiously walking around the same platform I'd been shot over a thousand years ago. We waited in that manner for around twenty minutes. "Hey…" He said upon seeing us. Baralai grumbled, "You're late." At that moment, I felt a rush of Nooj's memories and realized this wasn't the first time it had happened, "If you were on time, then I'd really start to worry." "Sure you should be here? The Youth League and New Yevon are crumbling without you guys to hold 'em together." Gippal said. I laughed to myself within Nooj's mind, "You expect too much." As always, Yuna and the others were here, watching from behind the wall. I glanced over at the wall and smiled, making sure not to make that apparent on Nooj's face. "There's something I needed to be sure of. Vegnagun… is gone." Baralai said to the two of us, bringing my attention back to him. I knew that he was hinting at my actions two years back and smiled to myself, "Listen to you: 'Vegnagun is gone.' Are you trying to tell us that since that thing left on its own, Yevon's not to blame?" Ah, the sweet smell of revenge. Yu Yevon, you want to start a religion? Frauds tend to make people lose faith in them sooner or later. "It's the truth!" He pleaded, "The thing's more sensitive than its size would lead one to believe. It detects hostility and in an instant, springs to life! Should one even think of harming it, it awakens like a frightened child." And the award for best dramatic actor goes to, "Hah, you did your homework." He gloated over having two years to study the machina. "Wait, so you're saying that Vegnagun woke up because someone was trying to destroy it? Who?" Gippal wondered. Who indeed. "Hey Nooj, should you tell him, or do I get the pleasure?" I jeered the crippled death-seeker. "Who indeed." Baralai repeated my words, "I'm a little confused. You came to claim it for yourself, didn't you? But Vegnagun awoke. Why? Because deep down you hated it. Did you come here to use it or destroy it? Well?" I laughed madly at his statement, "Both. You probably think that's impossible. You've always been too naïve to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand." Nooj wanted to destroy it and I wanted to utilize it for my will, but they didn't know about me. "Then, I hope you don't expect me to trust you, either. I believed in you once, when we were training for the Crimson Squad. I thought I'd never find a better friend. But you betrayed that… two year ago." Baralai said angrily, pulling his gun on me. Gippal reprimanded him, but the Praetor could care less, "Why did you shoot? Why did you shoot Gippal and me? We were friends and you shot us in the back!" I felt a ping of grief, of sorrow from deep within Nooj's heart. It was touching and I'd have sympathized, had my heart not been shattered in this very place, by their kind over a millennium in the past. "ANSWER ME!" Baralai screamed. "Just calm down! Nooj! Apologize already! That's enough! Don't push me…" The Al Bhed said, pulling out his own weapon and aiming it at the Praetor, "If this is what it takes." I was overwhelmed with glee, this was just too amusing. I dropped Nooj's cane, "This has turned out perfectly, wouldn't you agree? Yes, I shot you." I pulled out Nooj's gun and aimed it at the Al Bhed. "You were easy targets. You… and Paine." I told them, my pyreflies floating all around Nooj's body. "You shot Paine, too?" Gippal asked. Of course I shot her… Didn't they wake up at the same time? Oh well. "Why?" Baralai added. It was so pathetic it made me laugh in the most sadistic way I've ever laughed. "Answer me!" He shouted. The fools. I guess it was about time I gave them a clue, "I made him do it. He was too weak to resist me." "Nooj?" Gippal asked me, wondering why I was speaking like I had two personalities. "I don't expect you to present any more of a challenge. Not now." I said to Nooj out loud, releasing him from my control and entering the Praetor's. "Hello Baralai. If you were wondering, still wondering, I'm the reason he shot you. My name is Shuyin and you are now my servant. I'm going to destroy Spira to bring forth everlasting tranquility because you people can't stop bickering and I'm sick of it." I said once I'd established my presence and control within his mind. I looked back at Nooj, "See, I found that the mind that hates and despairs is the easiest to break. Two years ago, it was the same with you, Nooj, seeking your own death. Now, you can have it." I told him, pointing my gun in his face. Gippal tried to stop me and finally, Paine ran out to cause the perfect distraction. "Paine, get out of here!" Nooj shouted. I decided to take advantage of the situation and activated a barrier around the three of us. "Malboro, attack now." I commanded, projecting a few pyreflies to control the nearby fiend of Bevelle. While they fought the Marlboro, I jumped back into the hole, back into the Farplane.

I knew that Yuna's group would head over to the next temple to stop the Ixion I'd unleashed there. I scanned the temple and noticed the strangest phenomenon ever. The machina had been absorbed into the fiends, creating mechanical creatures of death. It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Those fiends were produced by an Ixion fayth, the Aeon of thunder. The interesting thing about this Ixion, though, it was a complete horse. Ixions of my past were minotaurs. Of course, we also had Odin, another Thunder elemental Aeon. By my guess, the people of Zanarkand began to forget what the Aeons looked like and Ixion and Odin got the worse end of the deal. Waiting a few moments, Yuna eventually arrived as I was able to feel Lenne's presence once again. They defeated the machina fiends and moved on to Ixion at the Chamber of Fayth. "An Aeon?" The Al Bhed said. Paine continued off of her, "Merged with Al Bhed machina. Isn't that what they said?" "How can this be…" Yuna stammered. They fought the unicorn of thunder and were victorious, but I wasn't through with it yet. Even Ixion had melded with an Al Bhed machina so I commanded it to make one final charge, an internal overload. While Ixion was doing that, Yuna and the rest were checking out the hole, one that could reach me. It was the perfect way to get Lenne to me. Finally, Ixion caused the machina to explode, the blast extending to Yuna and the other two. "Get back!" Paine warned, moving to her right to evade the blast. Likewise, the blonde girl moved to her left, hiding behind the wall. Yuna, on the other hand, had no place to go. The blast knocked her off her feet and into the hole Ixion had created before, right into my hands. "YUNA!" The both of them yelled helplessly.

Yuna plummeted towards the Farplane so I decided to have a little fun. "Can you hear me?" I asked. "Yes." She replied, turning upright and realizing that I was allowing her to stand. "Ah, you can hear me." I mused. She looked around, "I can't see you. Where are you?" I smirked, "Right here!" She looked at the direction I was projecting my voice and I shrouded her in light, making her lose consciousness to bring her to me. I forced Yuna into Lenne's outfit so that my love's essence would be amplified. Then, before she woke up, I overlapped my body over Baralai's. When she woke up, she looked around, confused as to why she was in the Farplane and why she was in the Lenne's clothing. I decided to make my presence known and stepped out of the smog of pyreflies, "At last, my love…" I steadily walked toward her, slightly disappointed at the fact that Yuna and Baralai had to be present. "Is that really you?" She asked me. I ignored Yuna, though, I had to pretend like I was actually talking to her, "Yes, it's Shuyin. I've waited so long for this, Lenne." "I'm not Lenne." She said to me, upset at the fact that I called her by a different name, the name that was important. "Lenne Lenne Lenne Lenne Lenne, who do you think you're fooling? I'd know you from anywhere. I'm glad I found you at last. We both passed away together, but I awoke alone. You know, I understand something now. Spira won't ever change. People are still bickering, still dying for no purpose. Even after one thousand years, they still do this. Enough… I'm tired of watching people suffer. I'm going to fix it. I'll use Vegnagun to cleanse with world." I said, clenching my fist while still progressing towards her, "We can finally fade away together, but I can't do this alone. Please give me strength, Lenne…" I put a gentle hand on Yuna's shoulder, constantly reminding myself that I was doing this as if it was Lenne standing there and not this woman. It was so hard for me to contain the disgust I felt that I couldn't even touch the shoulder of my love, but I forced myself to turn Yuna, hugging her close as if I was embracing Lenne. Yuna felt nothing like her and it enraged me, but I had no choice. Lenne was within her, apparently being used as a tool. Yuna should pay for that, but Lenne still needed her so I was without that option. For the moment, I'd have to pretend that we were alone, just Lenne and I. I was reunited with my love once more, a thousand years into the future. Soon, I'll end our pain, Lenne. I promise you I will.

"Open your eyes!" Nooj exclaimed to Yuna, taking me out of my moment with Lenne. She pushed away from me a bit and I realized it was over. I had to return to Vegnagun and leave Lenne behind again. I cursed under my breath and allowed Baralai's body to reappear, letting Yuna go to fall onto the flowerbed of the Farplane. I took away Lenne's clothes, this summoner not being worthy of wearing it, at least if I could help it. I extended an arm, the pyreflies swirling around it. With it, I opened up the same warp I'd used before, the one that I had sent Vegnagun through, "The end is not far now." With that, I walked through the warp, abandoning my Lenne once more.

As I walked through the Farplane's deepest recesses, I heard the pleas of that summoner. "I'm all alone…" She said quietly, kneeling on the ground. Although I despised her, I also sympathized. I'd been trapped with the pain of Spira for one thousand years. It tore me apart and I had to face it alone. My goal was to end this pain, end this suffering. I controlled the Farplane and used some pyreflies to direct her to an exit I'd create for her. It would take her back to Bevelle, hopefully alerting Lenne. The pyreflies made a whistle and, for some reason, it worked. "Where are you?" She said, getting up. I made the pyreflies whistle again and she eventually found her way to the surface. I made sure to knock her out again because the journey from the Farplane to the surface wasn't exactly the best thing for the girl. Baralai and Nooj, I'd even knocked out. Humans couldn't handle such a journey. When I was sure Yuna was safely back on the platform in Bevelle, I returned to my mission.

Spira will be purged of hate, removed of pain, and devoid of life. Vegnagun will make all out anguish disappear, Lenne. I'll make sure our deaths weren't in vain.


	34. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Chapter 4: 1000 no kotoba, The Voice of A Thousand Year's Regret

I reached Vegnagun and stared at it just like I had done a millennium ago. "Soon Lenne. Very soon, I'll purge this world of its evil. I'll ensure that we all are at peace. No more suffering, no more pain." I muttered, looking at the machina solemnly. I got in the cockpit and began making the necessary calibrations and adjustments, trying to get the beast to work efficiently. My plan was simple: Activate Vegnagun, point it at the heart of the Farplane, and then destroy it. Annihilating the core would produce a massive shockwave, ultimately destroying the entire planet. Without Spira or the Farplane, there would be no unsent and no fiends. The dead would remain dead, lost memories, never to be missed, never to be mourned. We would all rest in oblivion, the most peace there can ever be. It was perfect.

_**Kimi no kotoba wa  
Yume no yasashisa ka na?  
Uso o zenbu**_

_**Ooikakushiteru Zurui yo ne**_

Lenne? Is that really you?

"_What's wrong, Shuyin?" Lenne asked me as we walked the oddly empty streets of downtown Zanarkand. "Nothing's wrong. It's just that… I don't… I just don't know how to say it." I muttered. After all, why should I make her worry when I wasn't even sure if Bevelle was truly being easy on us or not. There wasn't a reason to cause anyone else alarm until I was sure. "Shuyin, if something's wrong, just tell me." She pleaded. Well, what did I really expect? I usually told her what I was thinking. I was keeping things from her. "It's not what you think. I just don't think I need to say anything about it just yet… At least, not until I'm sure. It's just a stupid idea that got in my head anyway." I told her._

Why? Why are you telling me this? I know I lied to you. I know what I've done in the past. I'm going to make it all better. Please don't stay upset with me. I'm trying my hardest to rescind the mistakes of the past.

**_Tabi tatsu kimi ni  
Tsumetai senaka misete  
Kiite ita yo_**

_**Hitori tatakau no?  
Zurui yo ne**_

You weren't cold back then. I was the idiot that ran away from you. I know fighting my battles alone isn't fair to you, but what choice did I have back then? I was trying to protecting you… even against your wishes. I just love you too much to let you die without at least trying to save you. I'm sorry, Lenne. Forgive me.

**_"Kaette kuru kara"  
Oikoshite yuku kimi no koe  
Ijihatte, tsuyoi furi  
Toki o modoshite: sakeba yokatta?  
Ikanaide to namida koboshitara?  
Ima wa dekiru, donna koto mo_**

"_I… I've gotta go…" I said quietly, anger replaced with despair. I knew it was too late. In a month, Lenne would die, her body ripped to pieces by metallic monstrosities created by an evil city. "Shuyin…" She said sadly, pleading for me to stay._

My memory of that day was as vivid as if it had happened moments before. I told her that I couldn't stay. I doubt that if she had told me not to leave her, I'd actually stay. My mind was in total chaos then. I didn't know what to do. That's why I went to seek council from my mother. I'm sorry for abandoning you my Lenne.

**_Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
Harukana_**

_**Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete**_

_**Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
Kizu tsuita**_

_**Kimi no senaka ni yorisoi  
Dakishimeru**_

Thank you. I knew you were aware of me while I spoke to Yuna. I knew you could hear every word. Soon Lenne, I'll make all our pain go away. Your words have given me more resolve than ever. Have faith in me, my love. All that we've been through, it won't matter soon enough. There's but a few more moments left and we'll be together again.

**_Yume no tsuzuki wa_**

_**Kimi o omoinagara  
Ano hi no koto**_

_**Wasureta furi shite  
Zurui yo ne**_

No, the dream isn't over. So long as we believe it's alive, it shall never falter. Stay strong, my love. Don't give into despair. We'll make it through this.

**_"Tegami o kaku kara"   
Shisen sorashita kimi no koe  
Ijihatte, tsuyoi furi  
Toki o modoshite: okoreba yokatta?  
Matenai yo to kata o otoshitara?  
Ima wa dekiru, donna koto mo_**

"_Don't worry… I'll come back. If I'm gone a little too long, I'll write to you…" I said, desperately hiding my anguish, "I've gotta go…" I blindly went at the door, pulling it open roughly and shutting it as I ran outside, and making sure to retrieve my sword. "Shuyin!" I heard Lenne screaming behind me. I didn't bother to see if she was following me._

I smiled to myself. Lenne, telling me that you couldn't wait wouldn't have stopped me then. I was weak and lost. I know you wanted to help me out. I know you didn't want me to be so upset, but don't worry, that's all in the past. We can't linger on the what ifs. I've learned from my mistakes. I know Spira can't change. I know that wars are inevitable. I know that anguish will continue to infect Spira unless something is done. I'm going to do it, Lenne. I'm going to save Spira from itself.__

**Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
Mienai**

_**Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete  
Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
Tsukareta kimi no**_

_**Senaka ni yorisoi  
Dakishimeru**_

I love you Lenne. I'll always love you. Not even oblivion will change that. Help me accomplish this task. We'll finally be at peace.__

**Ienakatta, sen no kotoba o  
La la la la...**

_**Kimi no senaka ni okuru yo  
Tsubasa ni kaete**_

_**Kikoeteru, sen no kotoba o?  
La la la la...  
Kimi no senaka ni yorisoi  
La la la la la...**_

Lenne's song ended and it had given me more confidence and strength than ever. I was sure I could do it. We'll fade together Lenne, I promise you. Together forever, we've suffered enough. It's time to rid this planet of its torment… once and for all…


	35. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Finale…

The time was almost upon us. Vegnagun was just about ready and with it, I will vanquish all of the darkness on Spira. The people will cease to exist, I along with them. We will all be at peace, no more wars, no more torture. "Don't do this." Someone said. I turned from my seat on Vegnagun and noticed yet another fayth, one that hadn't been here before. "Why not? Wasn't it you, two years back, who wanted the same thing I want now? You suffered for a thousand years, dreaming of a false Zanarkand while the rest of Spira was plagued by Sin. Didn't you want Yuna to destroy you and send you here so that you wouldn't have to suffer? There is no difference between the way you ended your pain and the way I'm going to end Spira's." I told her. "No… We didn't want to dream of Zanarkand any longer. That doesn't mean we didn't want to exist." She replied. "That isn't the point. The point is that you suffered and you wanted it to end. Destruction was your solution; it is mine, as well." I said, knowing full well that was the truth of the matter. The fayth said nothing more, solemnly watching me, unable to make any more arguments. "Make yourself useful." I easily told her, possessing her to go to the exterior of the Farplane to defend against intruders. "What you are doing is madness!" Another woman, also a fayth, said soon after, "What you are thinking is no different than what my son thought two years ago. Life is suffering, but we live it anyway. Don't you get it?" I turned to her with a look of boredom, "Look lady, I don't know much about this Seymour, but if that's his belief, he's right. Why go through life feeling endless pain and torment when you can end it now?" It seemed like the simplest thing in the world to me: Life equals suffering, death equals tranquility. What was so hard to understand about that? "Listen to the voice of reason!" She pleaded. "Listen to it yourself. Get out of my face and go help Shiva." I commanded, possessing her, as well, frustrated as I was that no one could see the gift I was bestowing upon Spira.

Suddenly, I felt a presence in the Den of Woe that housed a few of my other pyreflies. Once again, Yuna was there, Lenne's spirit emanating from her body. "Hmm, so they've successfully obtained those other spheres. The door has been unlocked and the nightmare of the past revealed. This should prove amusing…" I told myself, smirking vilely. Paine took a deep breath, "Time to face my past. C'mon." The three of them walked around the cave, eventually reaching the area where our skeletons lay. It was the same spot where I had first used my new abilities. Perhaps it was time to show these girls just what I was capable of. Using the pyreflies, I created phantoms of the three whose lives I'd destroyed. "Something's coming!" The blonde yelped. "Guys!" Paine gasped, staring in horror. As easily as I'd made them, I made them vanish. "You okay?" Yuna asked Paine. The latter stared blankly at the spot where the three men had been, "What was that?" "Are they… unsent? No, that can't be right." The blonde stammered, a puzzled and worried look on her face. "Pyreflies. I've seen this before. There are places where pyreflies cling to people's memories and make them eternal." Yuna explained. Well, she was partially right. The pyreflies made those phantoms based on my memory of that day. "Those were the guys' memories from back then… preserved by the pyreflies. Memories... or two year old nightmares." Paine added. I decided that it was time to make my presence known, "Older than that." I appeared in front of them, feeling the fear from each of their hearts. "Shuyin." Yuna gasped. "You!" Paine growled. I smiled at them, enjoying how much my presence was unnerving them. "I wanted to rest forever, but the pyreflies make me relive that moment… again and again and again." I told them, disappearing and reappearing near the Al Bhed. Whatever it was the bothered me about her, it would soon stop. I possessed the girl, making her scream as she tried to resist me. Effortlessly, I forced her to unsheathe she daggers. "Rikku!" Yuna screamed. Ah, yes, Rikku. That's the girl's name. She was Yuna's cousin, her father Cid being Yuna's uncle. She had been one of Yuna's guardians two years ago when she defeated Sin. "Something's wrong. Stay back!" Paine warned. I used more pyreflies to manifest myself in front of the warrior, as well. She immediately tried to cut me in two, but that was ineffective and I possessed her, too. Even as they both struggled against my control, I forced them to take up arms against their friend. "What's going on?" Yuna asked. This was perfect. If my speech hadn't done the trick, this would, "You will see." I projected myself into Yuna's mind, making her see exactly what Lenne and I went through over one thousand years before. She watched calmly, her heartbeat steadily climbing while my memories played for her. Finally, she knew and it frightened her to her very core. "Stay back!" She yelled, once I left her mind, aiming her pistols at me. "This is our story, Lenne." I told my love, her presence now fully shown. While Yuna cowered, her hands trembling as she held those guns to me, Lenne was beside her, also kneeling. I know it hurts, Lenne. It ripped my soul to pieces to have to see that for so long. However, because of this, I'm enlightened. I realize what must be done to bring us peace. "Don't make me say this again! I'm… not… Lenne!" Yuna shouted, her voice quivering out of fear, despair, and grief. It was quite amusing that I'd reduced her to this. That'll teach you to use my Lenne as one of your toys. She cocked her guns, ready to fire. I laughed at the foolish attempt and walked Rikku and Paine to her, ready to fight… or take a bullet if she was that lost. Just to be that much more nasty, I allowed those two a brief moment of freedom. "Rikku?" Yuna asked her cousin. With a sadistic smile, I took control of them once again, the blonde screaming loudly, much to my delight.

Yuna dodged Rikku's attacks, not knowing what to do that could stop her cousin without ending in her death. I forced Rikku to continue her attack, the abilities of the Thief Dressphere, as it was called, being quite impressive to me. Yuna sphere changed to Gun Mage and fired a blue bullet at the girl, but I easily made her dodge. This girl was fast. It was like she ran on pure lightning… Pure lightning… Hmm, that sounded familiar. In any case, I kept dodging her shots and slashing when I could. Eventually, I cut her across the arm, making her squeal in agony as blood trickled down and dripped onto the ground. She sphere changed again, this time into Floral Fallal, apparently her specialized Dressphere. She created a whirlwind, enveloping Rikku and doing some damage to her. Fast as she was, she couldn't dodge something like that. Harshly, the whirlwind threw her against a wall. Suddenly, the image of Kirin being blown into the wall of the Zanarkand stadium showed before me. "Kirin?" I gasped, seeing Rikku again, after my outburst. What was that all about? I couldn't watch her in pain anymore so I released my grasp on her mind. Hopefully Yuna would realize she was back to normal and not go overboard. Apparently, she didn't notice so I tossed Paine in front. "Snap out of it!" Yuna yelled, readying herself to fight the warrior.

I had Paine slash off one of the petals of the Floral Fallal, damaging the garment enough so that Yuna had to change again. This time, she mimicked Rikku, using her own variation of the Thief. Her speed greatly increased and Paine's skill wasn't as honed as mine. With her speed far less compared to Yuna's, the warrior took hit after hit, Yuna using the flat part of the daggers to injure, but not wound Paine. I kept trying to slice the summoner with Paine, but it didn't work. The dressphere of Rikku was far too dextral and Paine wasn't capable of catching up. Soon after, she fell to her knees, taking far too much damage to her legs to support the rest of her weight.

"Shuyin, stop!" A voice, one that was rather familiar, said to me, distracting me from my fun. "Larea… It's good to see you again." I said, turning to see her, "So, you've become one of the fayth of Zanarkand. Are you here to stop me, as well?" "Shuyin, this is crazy! Why would you do this?" She asked. I merely huffed, "As I told the Shiva fayth, you all wanted the same thing two years ago. I'm doing this for Rothel, too, ya know." Larea seemed to be upset at that fact more than pleased, "No, you're not doing this for him. He'd never want you to do something like this. Shuyin, do you know what the fayth dreamt of? We dreamt of a peaceful Zanarkand, one without worries or cares. We dreamt of you, a sweet and innocent man who knew only of his love for blitzball." "So that's why Yuna thought I was someone else. That's quite amusing, wouldn't you say, Larea? However, is this happy go lucky man me? I highly doubt it. Not even you know me as well as you might think. My heart has been filled with hate and anger for a lot longer than these past thousand years. Your dream version of me is faulty. He isn't real." I said harshly, glaring down at the summoner.

Meanwhile, with their minds' freed, Rikku and Paine rejoined Yuna. "Shuyin is no ordinary unsent!" Rikku stated. "Seems that way. When he died a thousand years ago, his feelings became intertwined with the pyreflies, creating this… apparition." Paine added. I'm so much more than a mere apparition. I'm the avatar of the apocalypse and the day of reckoning is upon us. "He's like a dream… or a nightmare." Yuna muttered, most likely recalling prior events. "He must have had some serious regrets for his feelings to act on their own like that." Rikku suggested. Girl, you have no idea. "This is what destroyed the squad; despair strong enough to crush the minds of those it touches. What just happened to us happened to them, too. Here, they felt Shuyin's despair. They went mad and they died. They killed each other!" Paine stated. My despair? What I shared with them was my wrath. They were Bevelle's. As far as I was concerned, they deserved to die. With Larea pausing for the moment, I reappeared in front of them, recreating the phantoms of the Crimson Squad survivors, "But these three lived. So… I decided to use them." Paine growled at me, swinging her sword in rage. I decided to leave them to this fight. Should they defeat the Crimson Squad, they'd leave this cave alive. Should they fail, they'd just be more corpses. This cave's had so many, three more wouldn't make a difference.

"Shuyin, a thousand years ago, I lost Rothel, too. It hurt so much, but even still, I'm not planning on destroying all of Spira as payback." Larea told me. "I didn't just lose Rothel. I lost Lenne… I lost Kirin… I lost every one of the people I loved. All of my friends… You weren't there Larea. You didn't see what I saw. You didn't have to say goodbye to their mutilated corpses one by one! I was right there! I held their dead bodies in my arms! Do you know what that's like? Do you know what it's like to bury your closest friend? Do you know how much it hurt to see Kirin like that? Don't even try to tell me you understand my pain!" I screamed at her, beginning to lose my patience. "I found Rothel's body, too! Don't try to tell me that you feel any worse than I did because I saw him, too! I saw how pale his body was. We were going to get married! Bevelle took the one person I loved with all of my heart so don't you dare tell me that I don't know how bad you feel, okay!" She screamed back. "You just don't get it. I didn't just lose the woman I loved. I didn't just have to see her die. I saw them all die. My heart was ripped out of my chest when I found them. You've never even seen what they did to Kirin. I wanted to save them and I failed. I died and do you know what I saw? I watched them die again and again, a million times over. I heard their screams in my head, felt the anguish in their hearts for a thousand years. I felt the pain of all of Spira for a thousand years. I'm sick to death of it, Larea! I'm sick and tired of suffering. I'm sick and tired of feeling people's pain. I was tortured by their deaths. I don't want anyone else to go through that again. Destroying Spira will make sure that never happens." I told her. Quietly, I saw a tear slide down her cheek, "You're so far gone…" I glared at her, "Take your meaningless ideals somewhere else. I'm not interested in hearing them. Make yourself useful. Call the Magus Sisters to help me. Stop living in your fantasy world; Spira never worked like that." With a wave of my hand, I possessed her and sent her off to guard the Farplane with Shiva and Anima.

Back in the Den of Woe, Yuna had subdued the apparition of Baralai, her kitana snapping the tanned Praetor's staff in two. They next engaged Gippal, the Al Bhed mirage wielding a rocket launcher for a weapon. "This should be amusing." I told myself. Without warning, he began firing missiles everywhere, firing from his gun ever so often. Each of the girls kept dodging, running around frantically as explosions erupted millions of rock fragments everywhere. It was insane, watching them run for their lives. This episode was highly entertaining to say the least. Of course, as always, good things must come to an end. Rikku sphere changed, her outfit turning into a blue jumpsuit, unzipped up to the waist. A yellow machina appeared next to her and she quickly got on. Without waiting even for a second, she flew the machina up to the roof of the cave and reconfigured the machina, turning it into a laser cannon, aimed directly at the blonde phantom. She fired and the blast took out Gippal rather quickly. However, next they faced Nooj, someone whose skills I knew all too well. I had been in his body for two years after all. He lacked speed, due to his leg, but his accuracy was superb. I shot for him and hit each girl in the chest. Lucky for them, one was in thick Dark Knight Armor, the other had Auto-Barrier so the shot was blocked, and Rikku simply hid in her machina. I kept firing shots and those two ended up hiding behind the machina, the barrier having been shattered and the armor starting to gain lots of potholes. "Hiding from me, huh?" I said from my seat back in the Farplane, "Baralai, have you ever seen Nooj's machina arm?" The Praetor didn't respond. "I think you have. Watch this." I said with a smirk. Back in the den, I made Nooj punch the ground with his arm. Nothing happened for a while, but then, the ground erupted in a blaze of light, destroying Rikku's machina. The three were hopelessly underpowered and it was time to finish it. I aimed my gun at Paine, most likely bringing back some bad memories for the girl. Suddenly, I felt Nooj sink to the floor and explode into pyreflies. "What was that?" I asked. As I looked on, I saw that Yuna's guns were smoking from the barrel. How could her bullets have been that powerful? "Guess that Catnip accessory really does work." Yuna told the other two. So they had some powerful equipment. It wouldn't really matter. They'd never be able to stop me from my goals.

A few hours later, they had entered the Farplane, swiftly advancing toward my position. I sent Shiva out to stop them. Obeying my will, she cast Blizzara, but the three of them weren't greatly affected. Yuna was using her Samurai Dressphere, evading the spell and dashing at the Aeon of Frost. Paine was in a Berserker Dressphere and had already used the garment's special skill, attacking quickly and harshly with her claws. Meanwhile, Rikku changed to Black Mage and cast multiple Firaga spells on Shiva. Yuna reached her and swung her sword like a cleaver, hacking away at the Aeon. Soon enough, Shiva fell to her knees and dispersed into pyreflies. "Your turn, Larea. Show them the power of the Magus Sisters!" I commanded of my former friend.

Obediently, Larea summoned the Aeon trio, blocking YRP's progression. Yuna changed to her Floral Fallal Dressphere again and sent wave after wave of wind at the Aeons. This didn't work as well as it had with Rikku. I simply had Larea use the Magus Sisters' wings to deflect the wind. Paine, in the meantime, snuck up on the widest of the three, Cindy. With her Warrior's sword, she carved Cindy up through the middle, defeating one third of the Aeon trio. "Hmm, very impressive. She stopped the Magus Sisters from using their overdrive." I said to Larea, knowing she could hear me even while being in Aeon form. Quickly, Mindy used Passado, damaging Yuna thirteen times with her stinger. Yuna quickly sphere changed to Trainer and used Yojimbo's Daigoro, or a variation of that dog, to take a bite out of the smallest of the sisters. Finally, Sandy made a move, using Razzia on Rikku. The head sister sent the waves of fire at the blonde, but Rikku used the speed of the Thief to easily dodge, flipping over the fire and stabbing her daggers into Sandy's shoulders once she finished the flip. Sandy stared shocked at Rikku before dissipating into pyreflies to follow her sister. Only Mindy remained, constantly stabbing the girls with her stinger. She stopped for one moment just to cast a Thundaga on Yuna and then she was on the move again. Daigoro was no match for the bee so Yuna changed back to Gunner form and shot round after round at the Aeon, missing every one. Finally, it seemed Rikku was getting exasperated by the speedy Mindy. She watched carefully, pinpointing all of Mindy's movements. Once she was sure, she lunged, successfully grabbing onto the Aeon's wings. It disabled her long enough for Yuna to fire fifteen rounds into her. While still in Rikku's grasp, Mindy disintegrated, the pyreflies moving back to the deeper part of the Farplane.

"Okay, Seymour's mom. Go get them." I ordered, sending Anima to fight the girls. If Anima was defeated, I still had my security locks to bar their path. The Aeon roared, using Pain to knock out Paine. Anima looked rather ferocious, but also seemed sad, seemingly imprisoned by those chains around its body. Yuna changed to Gun Mage and fired one of the stronger blue bullets, Super Nova, at Anima. The Aeon was engulfed in heat as strong as the sun. Through the heat, I commanded Anima to use Pain again, taking out Rikku. Seeing both Rikku and Paine unconscious, Yuna sphere changed to Alchemist and mixed a Potion and Phoenix Down, creating a Mega Phoenix just as Pain hit Yuna, as well. Each of the girls was instantly revived, ready to fight again. Yuna quickly changed back to Gun Mage and used Super Nova again. Meanwhile, Paine fired a few rounds of her guns at the Aeon and Rikku cast Ultima as a Black Mage. Each of the attacks did a pretty decent amount of damage to the Aeon, but Anima wasn't going to fall just yet. "Anima, time for your overdrive." I commanded. Anima readied its attack. Two of the three girls realized what was going on so they both changed to Warrior and jumped up at Anima, slamming their swords on either side of its neck. Anima was decapitated, its chained body dispersing into pyreflies.

"Yuna, I'm sorry. We weren't strong enough to stop him. We wanted to at least warn someone… but instead, we were dragged into the darkness. We're no better than fiends." The Bahamut fayth I'd first possessed told them, appearing since the other Aeons had been beaten. Yuna reassured the fayth, forgiving him for being unable to fight my power. "Please… Tell me… What is he?" She asked him. "Shuyin? Just a shadow. It may look like him, but the real Shuyin died long ago. Even after a thousand years, his hate and misery linger on. His feelings grew so strong, they began to act on their own… Eventually, they became a shadow, a shade that wants only to vanish but cannot." The fayth explained to Yuna. So I'm a shadow, eh? My emotions are acting on their own? Who do you think you're kidding? It's true I want to vanish, but I plan on making all of Spira vanish with me. Yuna seemed to feel a little more confident, "Just a shadow… I can handle a shadow." "Are you sure?" Paine asked, doubting the summoner. Yes, are you sure Yuna? Are you so sure you can take me down? Somehow, I don't think so. "I'll banish shadow with light." She explained. I could've gone into a seizure right at that moment. What a stupid remark. Oh, I'll banish shadow with light. What did she think this was? A comic book? "Light?" Rikku wondered. "Exactly!" I said aloud back in the Farplane's core. "Lenne's feelings." Paine interpreted. If Yuna was going to defeat me with Lenne's feelings, she was crazy. If anything, Lenne's feelings would strengthen my resolve. A thousand words of reassurance. I decided that I didn't want to listen to any more of her stupidity and went back to checking Vegnagun.

Within a few minutes, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku reached my security system. The only way to disable it was to play the organs. I deliberately gave them the notes, if they would take the time to find them. Even if they did, playing the organ required musical talent. That was why Gippal didn't make it to the party. Nooj was present, but only because, as my first possession, I figured it was sentimentally required to have him witness my victory. In any case, Yuna and her friends wouldn't be able to get to me without… help. Lenne could get to me. If she wanted to, she could bring Yuna's group closer. It wouldn't matter. Yuna would never be capable of defeating me. I've gone through too much to let a stupid girl with a crush on a copy of me win. Lenne aided and guided Yuna through the maze, playing the organ in that special way only she could. They reached the lifts, a place where they'd need the most skill. First, they had to navigate the platforms, stepping on the right ones that would play a melody I'd set for it. Once again, only Lenne would know that melody. She guided Yuna, effortlessly disabling the systems. "I've got a hunch that once we go on ahead, there's no turning back." Rikku stated. That's right little girl. Turn back now or be the first of Spira to fade. Together, they moved on, eventually reaching Nooj and me.

"Both Baralai and Vegnagun belong to him now." He said, noticing the arrival of the Gullwings. I decided to wait for them. I wanted to see what they could do to Vegnagun. Nooj told them of his retarded plan to blow himself up with me. It was funny how he didn't realize I could easily possess one of the other bodies around. Not to mention, I would be stupid not to use my sword to block his stupid bullet. "I don't like your plan. It sucks." Yuna replied. I agree with you, Yuna. The summoner started rambling about her pilgrimage, about defeating Sin. While she spoke, I could feel the presence of several people, one of whom was her father. The other presence was Auron, the close friend of Braska and one who's pain I also felt. He felt hatred for Yunalesca for deceiving him about the Final Aeon. For ten years, he grieved, vowing revenge deep in his heart. Unfortunately, now he was against me. It wasn't anything new; I'd always been alone in my struggles. Kirin was the only one in my childhood that ever came to my aid. It was actually a blessing in disguise. Being forced to fend for myself meant that I was highly self-reliant. These people were all trying to stop me, but I'd show them just how difficult that can be. Unbelievably, the third presence was my own father. Of course, he'd assumed the role of the dream world's Jecht. Whatever, I didn't need him either. I could feel his guilt, his pity and it disgusted me. I needed no one's pity nor did I ever want it. Finally, I grew impatient and started to play the organ, activating the machina. "Look!" Paine warned. The lot of them ran away as Vegnagun sprung to life. Its legs uncoiled and grasped the tower of rock I created for it; its wings opened wide. I played the song of peril, great zeal coursing through me. My father decided to speak some words of encouragement to them, "It's just bluffing." "This relic's getting rusty." The man named Auron added. "Yuna, you have your friends." Braska said warmly, comforting his daughter with his voice. They decided to split up and attack Vegnagun in different parts. The blonde ditz and her team of fools attacked one of the legs. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal went after me, attacking Vegnagun's chest. Finally, Yuna's group took on, of all the useless things, the tail. "Bring it on…" I said to myself.

While I busied myself, fending off the Crimson Squad's survivors, Vegnagun's automated defenses were holding off LeBlanc. The tail, on the other hand, barely equipped for close range combat to begin with, fell quite quickly. Even with its laser cannon and swiping, I knew that was no match for YRP. It hardly mattered anyway. I wasn't planning on destroying Spira with Vegnagun's tail after all. Fact was, I hadn't even started up the cannon yet. I wanted to see what these imbeciles thought they could do to me. With the LeBlanc Syndicate embarrassing themselves to no end, Yuna chose to come to their aid. "I'll let you have this one. I'm going to cheer Noojie on." The ditz said, cocky as ever. I really had no idea why Nooj would have ever fallen in love with her. She came with her two goons and tried to fight Vegnagun's chest with the rest of the Crimson Squad, but I sent a laser into those two buffoons and she came in alone, adding about a pinprick more damage. I knew Vegnagun was weakening. I knew that the Crimson Squad weren't pushovers. However, they didn't realize that Vegnagun wasn't even fully operational yet. I was saving that for just the right moment to make them realize the futility of this fight. Anyway, while I amused myself with them, Jecht kept giving hints on how Yuna's group could handle the leg. "You can read its moods. Watch those colors." He'd say. What a great father. He'd rather come to the aid of strangers, of outsiders, than help his own son. Whatever… I never needed him in the past and I sure didn't need him now. Eventually, they shut down that one leg…

I think Nooj and the rest of them started to tire. Obviously, Paine came to their rescue. They took over the fight for the weary. Yuna stayed Gunner, Rikku went to Samurai, and Paine changed to Dark Knight. They started to attack the legs and nodes, trying to take them out before going directly for the core. "Forget the small fries, go for the core. The core's your target." My father informed them. Of course, following his suggestion, all three of them began to target the core. Thanks pops. As Gunner, Yuna kept using Trigger Happy on it, the bullets doing barely any damage, though each proceeding shot doing a little more damage than the previous. The heavy damage came from the Dark Knight's Dark Sky ability. Rikku's Fireworks did some damage, also. I used the legs and whacked the blonde into Yuna, knocking them both off their feet. Unfortunately, Paine cast one last Dark Sky and Vegnagun's core exploded, spreading fire all over the machina's body.

Vegnagun collapsed onto the surface of the pillar. "What now?" Paine asked. The others rejoined the Gullwings and Rikku looked around, "Maybe it's over?" I turned to look at them, "Is it really?" I felt amused that they'd think so little of the behemoth. "Baralai!" Nooj screamed. Quickly, I turned back to the organ, "Yes, this world is over." I played the organ again, this time alternating the tone of the melody to signal for the cannon. Vegnagun revived and roared back into operation. The mouth opened wide and the cannon erupted from it. "Come, Vegnagun. Let us purge this repulsive world!" I exclaimed to the beast, starting to charge its power gauge. Yuna, Paine, and Rikku climbed up one of the legs and prepared to attack again. This time, they'd see the true power of this machina's defense. "The only faith you need is faith in yourself." Braska said, trying to boost his daughter's confidence. How's this for a confidence booster. I played a short melody and Vegnagun attacked with its Lacromosa ability. The group received heavy damage, "The end now begins." "If Vegnagun fires, it's all over. You have to stop it now, there is no overtime." Jecht warned, trying to get the girls back on their feet. They started coming at me again, the samurai using Zantetsu to destroy one of Vegnagun's horns. The Dark Knight used Darkness to heavily damage the other horn and Yuna used Trigger Happy, destroying it. Who were they kidding? "Mine is the power to crush Spira's despair!" I exclaimed, showing my defiance. Vegnagun struck the girls with Flare, one of the more powerful spells in a Black Mage's arsenal. Even though the attack was devastating to them, they wouldn't give up. They wanted to stop me, wanted me to fail again. I'd not lose so easily. They started aiming at Vegnagun's head, beginning to do damage to the internal systems. It didn't matter. Within a minute, Vegnagun would be ready to fire. "At last, Spira will be cleansed." I shouted loudly, making sure I was heard. Did you hear that dad? Vegnagun's practically ready to fire. Before the end, I decided I'd make the girls suffer for their insolence a little more. Playing the correct melody, I commanded Vegnagun to use its most powerful attack: Nemo Ante Mortem Beatus. The power of the machina completely overwhelmed both Yuna and Paine, but Rikku hung on for all it was worth. It really didn't matter. I've won… All of a sudden, the keyboard started to flicker and it seemed Rikku was doing more damage than I thought she could, "That a girl! The tides are turning." I frantically tried to keep playing, the sounds starting to die as Vegnagun began to succumb to all of their attacks. While bombarding Vegnagun with non-stop Holy attacks, the Al Bhed girl also revived both Yuna and Paine, which was a problem. I checked the power gauge for the cannon: 100. YES! "Now, Vegnagun! Fire!" I screamed, commanding the machina to shoot the Farplane core. It rattled a bit, but did nothing. No… They'd beaten it… Explosions flared up all around me and I was forced to abandon the cockpit. I hit the platform under Vegnagun's face hard, my mind going into a daze.

I couldn't really make out much of anything. My eyes were still cloudy and I could only sense one thing: Lenne's presence. "Shuyin…" I thought I heard her say. I looked on, barely able to keep myself on my feet. "Lenne?" I asked, trying to stop the spinning. "I need to tell you something that I couldn't tell you a thousand years ago." She said, pausing for a moment, "Thank you… You stayed with me until the end. I'm extremely grateful." "But I couldn't even save you." I said, wondering why she would thank me for dying with her. "That doesn't matter to me. Please don't go on regretting what's past all alone." She replied, extending a hand, "Rest now." I didn't know what to think. For a thousand years, I'd thought she'd never want to face me because I'd failed her. Could it be that she never wanted to be saved… or avenged? I knew Baralai had enough. Even if I was going to continue my plan, I'd use someone else. I released him from my control, allowing his weakened body to collapse onto the floor behind me. Returning my attention to Lenne, I reached out to her, steadily walking closer to my love, "Can we finally fade… together at last?" As I got nearer, something was wrong. Lenne's eyes started to look green and blue. Her hair started getting shorter… She looked like… "No…" I muttered, realizing I'd been tricked. "Wait!" She pleaded, the filthy wretch that she was. "YOU ARE NOT LENNE!" I growled, clenching my fists. You'll pay for that Yuna…

I unsheathed my sword and readied myself for battle. She thought she could fool me… She was wrong… dead wrong. "You're the only ones who can stop him!" Braska stated. Only ones? I don't think so. The only person who can stop me is Lenne… and she's not here to save you, Yuna… I glared at her, the treacherous witch. It made her tremble somewhat. I knew that my eyes were darkened greatly, overwhelming hatred and rage boiling inside me. "Stay focused!" Jecht commanded, making sure Yuna didn't lose her footing. Whatever she does won't matter soon enough… Without warning, I sped at them, slicing apart Rikku's sword and elbowing Yuna in the throat. Rikku quickly sphere changed to her Machina Maw and once Yuna stopped choking, she too went into her special dressphere. Paine followed suit, activating Full Throttle. I didn't wait for them to use an attack. Once Paine finished transforming, I sliced at her wing, cleaving it right off. She tried to send the sword floating above her at me, but I deflected each one, piercing through most of the petals of the Floral Fallal. Looking at Paine with a vile smirk, I pointed at her, "Be gone!" Quickly, I made a cartwheel, dodging Rikku's missiles. I flipped into the air and struck down on Paine with my Spin Cut, effectively knocking her unconscious. Yuna tried using her wind-based techniques on me, but the damage to her dressphere was too significant. She was forced to change to something else, her Gun Mage Dressphere. She fired a Super Nova at me, but I absorbed the energy into my sword, "Share my despair!" I sent the full force of my weapon out at the two remaining enemies. Rikku blocked with the machina, my overdrive tearing it to pieces. Not waiting for the smoke to clear, I ran through, slashing apart the gun Yuna was carrying. "Put that crybaby to sleep." Jecht mused. "Don't interfere!" I shouted back, running around those two, slashing countless times. Rikku slumped to the floor, reverting back to Thief form. Meanwhile, Yuna sphere changed back to Gunner and shot a few bullets at me. Big mistake… Not only had my overdrive injured her, slowing her movements, bullets weren't anything to use against me. I easily deflected all of her shots, sending them everywhere. Her final two shots came at me and I made sure to make them count. With a swing of my sword, I sent them flying into her legs, causing her to fall to the floor. "Vanish with the rest of Spira!" I screamed, stabbing my sword into Vegnagun and leaping off it. Kirin's blitz ball appeared above me. Starting my flip, I waited until it dropped and then kicked it hard, letting it explode near the two. When I landed, I saw Yuna, her legs bleeding as she stared into my eyes, fear emanating from every inch of her soul. I walked over slowly, taking in the moment. When I reached her, I lifted my sword, pointing the blade down at her, "I won't let anyone stand in my way…" I was about to plunge my weapon through the woman's heart when the other girl threw herself over her, "Don't! Please! That's enough!" She yelled at me, holding her arm out as if to keep me away. Something wasn't right about this. The other girl was supposed to be Rikku, but… "Kirin!" I blinked a couple times to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but Kirin remained there, pleading with me not to hurt Yuna. I backed off, dropping my sword on the ground and watching it dissipate into pyreflies. That look she was giving me… That's Lenne's look… It was how she looked at me when she was afraid. I didn't want Lenne to fear me… I… Gunshots! I relived my death again… Wait… No, that bullet was real. I looked back at Kirin and saw Yuna, the barrel of her gun fuming with a small amount of smoke. "It's almost over, Yuna." Auron told her. This couldn't be happening… What was I about to do? I continued to stare at Kirin, watching her as she looked at me oddly. I blinked once more and she was herself again, Rikku… I'd been beaten by my own heart…

"Shuyin…" Yuna said softly, pity echoing from her voice. I was searing with anger, "Don't even try to tell me you understand." I glared at the surface of Vegnagun's cannon, seething with rage at my failure. I'd failed again… I failed Lenne again…

A bright light showed off in the corner of my eye. I turned towards it and saw my love, encircled by a brilliant yellow light, the same as that of the sun. "Lenne?" I asked, not believing what my eyes were showing me. It couldn't have been her. I failed her again. Why would she want to see me? It was that Yuna again. She was trying to trick me. I growled under my breath and threw my arm at her. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? The woman caught my hand and pulled it toward her chest, cupping it with both palms. I knew that touch… "Lenne…" It really was her. "Finally…" She said, her voice as soft and silky as I remembered it. "Yea… It took a thousand years for this to happen." I said, my voice cracking from overwhelming joy, tears streaming down my face. "As long as we're together again, it's enough for me. I want you to know that you've touched me deeply." She said, putting my hand on her cheek, "Enough now. End this and come home." I shook my head gently, "How can I?" I didn't fix the problem yet… "All of that happened a thousand years ago. It's far too late to fix things anyway. Stop lingering on the past." She told me, putting her hands on my shoulders, "Rest now, Shuyin… Together forever?" I put my hands on my face to wipe away the tears. She was right. I was hanging onto the regret of the past, stuck in my hatred. Life is suffering, but we still live it. No one has the right to decide if it's worth it or not. "I wrote a new song… I'll sing it for you now." Lenne said softly to me, trying to ease my pain. I wrapped my arms around her waist, embracing her warmly. She was too good to me. Alright… enough of this. It's time for me to rest in peace… at last. "Thank you." I heard Lenne say. Yes, thank you, Yuna. I was wrong and you tried to show me that. Despite all I've done to you, you wouldn't give up on me. You did all you could and you brought Lenne back to me. And thank you, Rikku. Your light and you're innocence showed me what I'd clouded my heart from seeing for over one thousand years. If you hadn't bravely done what you did, I'd never have this moment; I'd never be at peace…


	36. Epilogue

Epilogue: Beyond Death

Pyreflies exuded from our bodies, swirling around us as if to celebrate our reunion. Lenne and I were finally together again. Even if it took one thousand years to accomplish, we were together again. Nothing else mattered. We were consumed by a brilliant white light, produced by the strongest emotion: eternal love. Love that spans across the oceans and over the mountains, it would carry our spirits into the next world. I gazed at my beautiful songstress, eyes filled with the greatest amount of joy I'd felt in the past thousand years. It had finally happened. I was finally at peace. Lenne and I were together… at last…

_**Donna ni hanarete temo**_

_**Kokoro de tsuu jiru**_

_**Kotoba de ienaku temo**_

_**Hitomi de tsutawaru**_

_I love you Lenne. Even being separated for those thousand years, I've never stopped loving you._

_**Kimi wo omou tabi naze ga**_

_**Yasashiku natte yuku**_

_**Sonna ki ga suru no**_

_**Hanasanaide**_

_Every time I'm with you, my mind's tranquil, as well. You have and always will bring out the spark of light, even in the darkest recesses of my heart._

_**Kimi wo dakishimeteru kokoro no nakade**_

_**Soba ni itai kara sou**_

_**Melody ni kizan de kanade tsuzukeru**_

_**Oceans apart**_

_**Longing to be with you again**_

_Yes, I'm grateful to be with you, together again. I'm glad you feel the same way too. I should've realized that no matter what happens, our love would never lead us astray. This moment is one I shall always cherish._

_**Tsuyokina watashi dakedo**_

_**Sunao ni ieru yo**_

_**Deatta toki kimochi ga**_

_**Furuete ita koto**_

_You don't have to worry about holding back your emotions any longer. It's what I've come to depend about you. My heart's been frozen in angst, my emotions sealed away. You released them from their prison, allowed me to feel again. You're feelings aren't a weakness, my love. They are you're greatest strength._

_**Mune moto ni hikaru kimi ga**_

_**Nokoshita puuresento**_

_**Nigirishimeteru no**_

_**Hitomi tojite**_

_The light you found in my heart, that's what allowed you to find your way back to me? You followed it for so long… I'm sorry my hate made it dim as much as it did. _

_**Me nishi tamo no subete kimi ni misetai**_

_**Todoketai kono omoi**_

_**Tooku hanarete temo tsuite yukeru yo**_

_**Oceans apart**_

_**Longing to be with you again**_

_I'm back with you and I'm not going to go anywhere. All of our experiences, everything we've been through, it no longer matters._

_**Shinju no kiramekide kimi wo terasu yo**_

_**Kono umi wo koete yuku**_

_**Shinjita sono kimochi wasurenaide ne**_

_**Oceans apart**_

_**Longing to be with you again**_

_Thank you for believing in me. I think even I started giving up on the real me. I felt he was weak, that he was why we all died. I was wrong to doubt myself. I'm glad you never stopped seeing the good in me when I could only see the evil._

_**Kimi wo dakishimeteru kokoro no nakade**_

_**Soba ni itai kara sou**_

_**Melody ni kizan de kanade tsuzukeru**_

_**Oceans apart**_

_**Longing to be with you again**_

_We'll be together from now unto forever. Finally at peace, an eternal sleep._

With everlasting hope, I gave up my despair. With faith in life, I abandoned my plight. Lenne and I disappeared from Spira, surrounded by that unimaginable light. Together forever… even until the end of time…

**_The End_**


End file.
